Google’s philanthropic arm – google.org – has been making the news recently over their endeavors to combat climate change and environmental issues. The initiative, focused around investing in other environmentally conscious companies as well as concentrating on their own R&D efforts for renewable fuel sources have led to the setting of an ambitious goal to generate a gigawatt of renewable electricity at a price cheaper than can be done currently with fossil fuels.
This is a really warming commitment from a global company, though it initially all sounds a bit odd, and more so when you consider Google – an internet based company – work in a digitized medium, thus having minimal environmental impact from their main outputs. But that’s not to suggest they shouldn’t undertake these types of responsibilities, in fact, being at the heart of the distribution of information and a leading benefactor of advertising revenue they are in a considerably apt position to make a realistic difference. “It’s very hard to find options that aren’t coal-based or other dirty technologies,” said Google co-founder Sergey Brin, “We don’t feel good about being in that situation as a company. We feel hypocritical. We want to make investments happen so there will be alternatives for us to use down the road.”
So Google are doing something really positive on their side of the counter. It got me thinking about us, the consumers, and where our efforts should lie. While Google are paving the way with e-commerce, their success is aiding the generation of a growing issue with e-waste. As new technology rapidly replaces old, current computers, i-pods, digital cameras, monitors etc. become obsolete and one more feature of a landfill – shockingly up to 80% of e-waste from the U.S. is exported to impoverished countries. But thanks to the concerted effort of folks like the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and GreenBiz.com as well as greenpeace with greenmyapple.org us consumers have a myriad of places (via a simple google search none-the-less) to find out how best to responsibly discard our old electronic goods.
An e-waste guide:
- The green consumer guide – electrical goods
And here are a few e-waste collectors:
- A computer disposal and computer recycling company in the UK
- One of the UK’s leading small-business IT recycling and disposal specialists
- Free iPod Recycling Program at US Retail Stores
- Computer monitor and television recycling
no excuses…
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