Sustainability of ICs
Introduction
Sustainability means “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”[1] This article attempts analyzation of this subject on two fronts Globally and Locally.
Some Global Sustainability Issues
Energy
Purifying Si to the extent needed in a semiconductor requires large amounts of energy. Fossil fuels provide the majority of modern energy.
Enviornment
Semiconductor production uses many harsh chemicals and chemical processes. These create a spectrum of health issues and environmental effects. These effects include but are not limited to: heavy metal seepage into the water table from discarded semiconductor parts, and large CO2 emissions which increase global warming.
Enviornment
Semiconductor production uses many harsh chemicals and chemical processes. These create a spectrum of health issues and environmental effects. These effects include but are not limited to: heavy metal seepage into the water table from discarded semiconductor parts, and large CO2 emissions which increase global warming.[2]
Positive aspects of electronics production also exist. The EU now refuses to import any products from China that are not made under the EU's RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive). In response China now has a similar standard.[3]
Equity
Many different nations host semiconductor production. Some nations with less stringent environmental regulations care less about the harmful effects of dangerous chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and others.[3] This not only harms the environment but also leads to a disparagement in equity between the citizens of different nations in regards to their exposure to these chemicals.
Economics
Money exacerbates the situation in other nations with less stringent regulations. These nations have less overhead in semiconductor production than nations more advanced in green engineering.
Some Local Sustainability Issues
Within the world of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and EE 346 (Semiconductor Device Electronics Laboratory) sustainability also applies. Even on this small scale students may set precedent for future generations in their constant care of their world. This strikes the heart of Cal Poly's "Learn by Doing" philosophy.
Energy
Common sense rules here. Practice traditional energy conservation rules here. (e.g. turn out the lights, turn off the computer) The typical computer uses 65-250W of energy.[4] The typical LCD monitor uses 35W if energy.[4] These components remain on most of the time. Shut these down and turn out the lights before leaving the lab at the end of the day.
Enviornment, Equity, and Economics
- Enviornment: Refrain from throwing out components destroyed in lab.
- Enviornment: Take care in constructing circuits to minimize waste production from unused wires and parts.
- Enviornment: Attempt to use parts from lab for future projects.
- Equity: Study abroad in nations requiring improvements to their environmental standards. Spread knowledge gained in courses such as EE346.
- Economics: As an alternative, pass on functioning lab parts to future EE 346 students. Better yet, sell them to future students at lower prices creating a better deal for both parties.
The Laws of Ecology
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Everything connects to everything else: Personal Computers need to be recycled but are not. Landfills fill up. Landfills create enviornmental seepage.[2]
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Everything must go somewhere
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Nature knows best and bats last
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There is no such thing as a free lunch [5].
Group members
Sources
- http://www.epa.gov/Sustainability/
- E. Williams, “Environmental impacts in the production of personal computers,” in Computers and the Environment: Understanding and Managing Their Impacts, R. Kuehr and E. Williams, Eds. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2003, pp. 41-7
- China CSR. Environmental Lessons For Chinese Technology Companies. Available: http://www.chinacsr.com/en/2007/08/23/1629-environmental-lessons-for-chinese-technology-companies/ [Accessed Oct. 24, 2008]
- http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html
- B. Commoner, The Closing Circle: Nature, Man, and Technology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972, pp. 16-24.
Drafts
Keep your drafts here so you can refer to earlier versions.
Draft 1
Draft 2
Comments (6)
Anonymous said
at 7:01 pm on Nov 18, 2008
Your Global Energy and Environment sections are duplicates. Your global economics section needs to be fleshed out more. try to get some more sentences in there. since the invention of electronics millions of jobs have come into existence.
I like your local sustainability issues. It brings the whole idea down to a more personal level.
The approach is good, but it needs more body. Consider that transistors now use less energy than previously before, but at the same time since they are prevalent in almost everything (especially computers that we leave on) they can still be wasting more energy than before transistors existed.
Anonymous said
at 10:40 pm on Nov 18, 2008
The overall format of the sustainability report is really easy to follow and makes your group seem more professional. I do tend to agree though that the sections need more substance. The information that you presented is relevant and provides the necessary references, but it generally seems short. However, I really liked the local sustainability issues section. It was nice to read issues that are directly relating to us in lab.
Anonymous said
at 11:00 pm on Nov 18, 2008
I'm sure your energy section is correct, but doesn't really have any analysis, you could expand on that a bit. The point about EU regulations in environment is interesting, but isn't really a good side of electronics, it just show's we're being slightly more responsible in dealing with the bad side. I like the economics part, I've always thought the side of green technology that helps our economy should be discussed more. I like the the local issues part too, they do make it more personal, but it doesn't really relate specifically to this experiment, just the EE department in general.
Anonymous said
at 10:34 am on Nov 19, 2008
The only negative thing i have to say is you should give more insight on some of the topics like energy and economics. Some positive things about your sustainability is having references for some of the sections and talking about the sustainability on the local level to see how lab effects the four E's.
Anonymous said
at 6:10 pm on Nov 19, 2008
In your energy section I do not see the connection. You begin with declaring that semiconductor production uses harsh chemicals (beginning of lifecycle) then state effects related to discarded parts (end of lifecycle). Both are true, but not clearly connected. I also do not see any relevance to energy.
In your environmental section, I agree that RoHS is a huge step in creating less environmentally harmful electronic components but I don’t think that it is considered a positive aspect of electronics production. RoHS alone does not by any means improve the environment, it only serves to harm it less.
I believe that your equity section in your strongest area. Some specific examples would improve your argument. In your economics section, I agree that unfortunately cheaper production can mean dirtier production. This not only has negative environmental impact but also creates an ill-gained competitive advantage for those nations with lax environmental standards. It is up to the consumer or end user to reject these products and make it not profitable to have dirty production.
Anonymous said
at 9:51 pm on Nov 23, 2008
I really like your format, however, you really need to expound upon your ideas. You don't mention the results of any of these problems or the sincere causes other than suggesting the implications. For each category you should go more indepth with analysis of the problems, the implications, and then what this means on a larger scale (students -> United States -> future?). It also seems like you need to reference your sources more, if you used them, it is not clearly evident in your text.
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