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The Next
Revolution In Computers: Think Green It wasn't supposed to be this way. Computers were going to usher in the "paperless office," saving tons of paper through e-mail and on-screen editing, while the home office phenomenon would save countless barrels of oil which otherwise would have fueled commuter trips. Both have happened to some degree but, somewhere along the way, computers themselves became an environmental problem all their own. For every three new computers now built, for example, two old computers become obsolete. By 2005, the ratio will be one to one, leaving 150 million personal computers for landfills -- enough to fill a one-acre hole three-and-one-half miles deep. In the newly resurgent environmental movement, however, engineers in groups such as The American Ceramic Society are advancing plans to bring greening to computers, including recycling and reusing hardware components, eliminating hazardous chemicals, reducing electrical consumption during production of hardware and software, and other efforts to make them as environmentally friendly as possible. The society, known as ACerS, is publicizing such efforts as part of National Engineers Week, an annual event emphasizing the critical role engineers play in areas such as medicine, aerospace, communications, transportation and, not incidentally, computer science. Ceramic engineering uses high-temperature processing to convert processed and raw materials, typically clay or sand, into inorganic, nonmetallic solids such as brick, glass, electronic components, nuclear fuel, abrasives, engine components and household goods like tableware. National Engineers Week, February 21-27, 1999, is co-chaired this year by ACerS and Eastman Chemical Company. Among the most pioneering of the greening projects, one targeted at the coming landfill dilemma, are personal computer take-back programs. Last July, IBM Japan began a pilot program offering incentives to encourage shoppers to exchange their old PCs for store credits based on the market value of the used equipment. The stores then deliver the used PCs to designated service centers, which upgrade the processor and hard drive. First tested in Sagamihara and Yokohama, IBM expects the program to expand in the future. Similar product take-back programs are the law in several European countries now. In Sweden, metal from circuit boards, cables, and other computer components are already being recycled through an IBM project. Stateside, product and packaging take-back programs increasingly serve as topics at conferences and trade group meetings and inside electronics and computer firms. Whether the programs can work in the United States, say industry analysts, depends on the viability of the reuse infrastructure, consumer support, and broad participation of major manufacturers. Powering the greening trend, according to Wayne Young, an ACerS member and senior engineer at IBM in San Jose, Calif., is a growing industry awareness that simply complying with outside regulations -- learning the rules, hiring experts to keep up with changes, paying fines when problems arise -- will no longer do. Instead, he argues, engineers need to go beyond the regulations and design products that exceed compliance thresholds -- in the process, saving money, pleasing consumers and, most importantly, preventing pollution. One centerpiece of the new green action in the computer industry, says Young, is to think environmentally in product designs and processes. To make that goal a reality, he first established progress indicators to help track improvements. A case in point is with the disk drive systems his company manufactures, where Young measures floor space, power consumption, heat generation, and product weight against gigabytes stored. Progress can then be tracked reliably. (And an unwritten rule of environmental controls posits that when amounts of waste and costs of pollution are known, people naturally tend to work to decrease the problem.) Annually, about two percent of America's gross national product is spent on controlling pollution. As computers and information technology become an increasingly larger part of the nation's industrial pie, the impact of pollution controls on the industry will certainly grow. Stephen Freiman, president of The American Ceramic Society, says his society's members aspire to be environmentally friendly not only in the production of ceramic products but also in the search to provide solutions to environmental problems. ACerS considers the moves to prevent environmental conflicts a critical part of the society's outlook as it enters the new millennium. "When automobile pollution reached a critical level, ceramics were used as a key component in the creation of catalytic converters, now used in every automobile in the U.S.," says Freiman. "Now, as computers begin to require special environmental needs, expect ceramic engineers to again offer solutions that work well for nature and industry." Indeed, ceramics are at the heart of many new products that address environmental needs. Other environmental work now in progress under the guidance of ACerS members include:
Other ceramic applications related to the environment include creation of lighter ceramic- based materials for automobile and aircraft engine parts to increase fuel savings and create more efficient combustion through reduced wear and friction. Ceramics are also used in containment booms that corral oil after spills in harbors or at offshore rigs. National Engineers Week was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers to increase public awareness and appreciation of the engineering profession and of technology. Thousands of engineers, engineering students, teachers, and leaders in government and business participate each year. Co-chairs of 1999 National Engineers Week, February 21-27, are The American Ceramic Society and Eastman Chemical Company. The American Ceramic Society, headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, is an international association dedicated to the dissemination of scientific, commercial and educational information about ceramic materials and industries. Eastman Chemical, an international chemical company with headquarters in Kingsport, Tennessee, produces a wide range of chemicals, fibers, and plastics. More information on National Engineers Week can be found at http://www.eweek.org. To contact the ACerS member mentioned above, send email to Wayne Young. ### [_private/boilerplate.html]
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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