Hobbies And Interests
Raw Material Sourcing
The first stage in the manufacture-to-disposal life-cycle is the extraction of raw materials. This can impact the environment through deforestation, erosion and toxic pollution. In addition, the process requires a great deal of energy to operate machinery used in mining, purifying and transporting materials -- not to mention the depletion and waste of these natural materials themselves. For example, the Environmental Literacy Council notes that only 43 percent of pure silicone mined ends up as part of a computer chip. Other raw materials used include iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and gold.
Impacts in Manufacturing
The single most resource-heavy component to build is the central processing unit, which is integrated into a microchip. According to an article in the journal "Environmental Science Technology," the manufacture of a single 2g microchip requires 1.6kg of petroleum, 72g of chemicals, 32kg of water and 700g of elemental gases. But the environmental burden of the whole PC is much larger -- more than 500 lbs. of fossil fuels are burned, and 1.5 tons of water and 50 tons of chemicals are used; this includes that used in transport.
Energy Consumption During Use
The energy computers use creates a large power demand. A single DRAM chip uses 15,000 Kilojoules of energy during its life cycle, added to the 41,000 kJ used in its manufacture. The computer as a whole uses only 20 percent of the total natural resources that the computer uses during usage. However, because planned-obsolescence means that computers have shorter life cycles, more computers are being manufactured and disposed of than there would if computers did not become obsolete as quickly.
Impacts in Disposal
Computers sent to landfill sites cause environmental issues. Even in advanced sites, some leaching happens. Heavy metals much as cadmium and mercury are released from the computers when electronic components are broken, and chemicals are released from the plastics. These can leach into the soil, and could potentially contaminate groundwater. Furthermore, the speed of obsolescence increases disposal of computers; for example, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reports that between 1997 and 2004, an estimated 315 million computers became obsolete, containing around 2 million lbs. pounds of cadmium.