The rapid turnover of hardware technologies, driven by consumer demand and the industry’s push for innovation has led to significant environmental consequences. E-Waste is just one of the many physical consequences of computing, and the environmental impact of the frequent upgrading and replacement of technology has not been emphasized enough in the tech innovation conversation.
My name is Madeline Yeh, and I am a senior at Cornell University studying Information Science. This project was inspired by the class, INFO 4260: Computing on Earth: Planetary Dimensions and Consequences of Computing, taught by Professor Steve Jackson. This course discusses the environmental impacts of e-waste and the geo-political, economic and cultural conflicts that deepen the severity of this issue. The goal of the project is to equip people with the information and understanding necessary to take action, whether that be on an individual, industrial, or systemic level.
Citations
This project would not be made possible without data from the EU’s Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, data on CO2 equivalencies from WorldLoop, CO2 research from The Globe Project, research from Shahjalal University, map generation from Atlist, and icon graphics from Flaticon.