What can we do to help reduce the amount of E-Waste
For starters we could stop buying so many different machines that do the same thing. How many options does one person need? Not that it matters because we need to be able to "connect" at a moments notice at any given second of every day!
We could donate all of those old desktops. There is always someone looking for used computers. Churches and after school programs are always a great option and they are tax deductible too, who doesn't love having a write off or 2?
If neither of those suggestions are up your alley, you can always find a recycling center like the one in the video. Here's a few places to help you find a center too.
The great Digital Divide...
The way everyone seems so plugged in, it's hard to imagine that some, almost 15% of Americans, aren't connected. There's several reasons behind that number. Lack of interest, lack of know - how and lack of money. To me this means there is obviously a lack of digital education. So what's happening to get everyone connected?
First, we need to increase education on how to use the internet and educate them on why the internet is so important.
Next, would be to provide the hardware, this is where reduce, reuse and recycle works out nicely. Now this is a great way to get rid of all the printers and desktops. One mans trash, is another mans treasures...
Lastly, we'd have to figure out how to pay for the not so cheap internet. There are many non profit organizations that provide money for the low income families that can't afford the internet. There's many ways one could help and not just by ways of cash. You can always donate your time to teaching those who aren't familiar with a computer or the internet.
Help is on the way...
Google is always on top of the technology food chain! They claim to help visually impaired people see objects and environments with established crowd- sourcing technology. This company is all inclusive... Literally The OpenGlass Project was specifically designed for the visually impaired. It is a single google glass headset. It's slim, compact and anything but bulky. It is battery operated and has bluetooth and wifi capabilities. The panel itself is off to the right, built into the headset and beaming light into the clear piece from the side, which then hits that sliver of material and reflects into your eye. It's an interesting arrangement and the net result is, indeed, a glowing image that appears to be floating in space. Google says it's "the equivalent of a 25-inch high definition screen from eight feet away." Technology is always growing and always moving. It wouldn't surprise me if they weren't already designing replacement eyeballs.
Duffy, M. (2013, August 5). Google Glass
Applications for Blind and Visually Impaired Users. Retrieved May 1, 2016,
from VisionAware:
http://www.visionaware.org/blog/visionaware-blog/google-glass-applications-for-blind-and-visually-impaired-users/12
Gizmodo (Director). (Mar 20, 2015). Watch Your Dead
Tech Get Demolished at an E-Waste Recycling Plant [Motion Picture].
Retrieved May 1, 2016, from https://youtu.be/EDVCldfYJ8k
Good, N. f. (2016). Bridging the Digital Divide.
Retrieved May 1, 2016, from Network for the Good:
http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/education/digitaldivide/
MONICA ANDERSON, A. P. (2015, July 28). 15% of
Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they? Retrieved May 1, 2016, from
Pew research center:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/28/15-of-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/
University, H. (2016). Minimizing E-waste is
Important: Sustainability. Retrieved May 1, 2016, from Green Harvard Edu:
http://www.green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/how/6-ways-minimize-your-e-waste
White, B. (Director). (Aug 1, 2013). Testing WearScript
with Visually Impaired Users [Motion Picture]. Retrieved May 1, 2016
