The Story of ElectronicsYouTube↗  IA↗(long shot)
Nonprofits & Activism  1.8M views 13.8K likes 882 dislikes   04 Nov 2010
The Story of Stuff Project 210K subscribers United States YouTube↗


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Contributed subtitles
Dutch Dirk Van de Veire
Bulgarian Emperor
Chinese (China) Atom X
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This is a story about a world of obsessed with stuff.
this is a story about a world obsessed with stuff it's a story about a system
It's a story about a system in crisis. We're trashing the planet,
in crisis we're trashing the planet
we're trashing each other, and we're not even having fun.
we're trashing each other and we're not even having fun the good thing is that
the good thing is that when we start to understand the system
when we start to understand the system
we start to see lots of places to step in and turn these problems into solutions
we start to see lots of places to step in and turn these problems into solutions the other day I couldn't find
The other day, I couldn’t find my computer charger.
my computer charger my computer is my
My computer is my lifeline to my work, my friends, my music.
lifeline to my work my friends my music
So I looked everywhere,
so I looked everywhere even in that
even in that drawer where this lives.
drawer where this lives I know you have
I know you have one too, a tangle of old chargers,
one to a tangle of old Chargers the sad
the sad remains of electronics past.
remains of electronics past how do they
How did I end up with so many of these things?
end up with so many of these things it's
It’s not like I’m always after the latest gadget.
not like I'm always after the latest
My old devices broke or became so obsolete I couldn’t use them anymore.
gadget my old devices broke or became so obsolete I couldn't use them anymore and
And not one of these old chargers fits my computer.
not one of these old chargers fits my computer odd this isn't just bad luck
Augh. This isn’t just bad luck. It’s bad design.
it's bad design I call it design for the
I call it “designed for the dump.”
dump
“Designed for the dump” sounds crazy, right?
designed for the dump sounds crazy right
But when you’re trying to sell lots of stuff, it makes perfect sense.
but when you're trying to sell lots of stuff it makes perfect sense it's a key
It’s a key strategy
strategy of the companies that make our
of the companies that make our electronics.
electronics in fact it's a key part of
In fact it’s a key part of our whole unsustainable materials economy.
our whole unsustainable materials economy designed for the dump means
Designed for the dump means making stuff to be thrown away quickly.
making stuff to be thrown away quickly
Today’s electronics are hard to upgrade, easy to break, and impractical to repair.
today's electronics are hard to upgrade easy to break and impractical to repair
My DVD player broke and I took it to a shop to get fixed.
my DVD player broke and I took it to a shop to get fixed
The repair guy wanted $50 just to look at it!
the repair guy wanted $50 just to look
A new one at Target costs $39.
at it a new one at Target costs 39 bucks
In the 1960s, Gordon Moore, the giant brain and semiconductor pioneer,
in the 1960s Gordon Moore the giant brain and semiconductor pioneer
predicted that electronics designers could double
predicted that electronics designers
processor speed every 18 months.
could double processor speed every 18
So far he’s been right.
months so far he's been right this is
This is called Moore’s Law.
called Moore's Law but somehow the
But somehow the bosses of these genius designers got it all twisted up.
bosses of these genius designers got it all twisted up they seem to think that
They seem to think Moore’s Law means every 18 months we have to throw out our old electronics
Moore's law means every 18 months we have to throw out our old electronics
and buy more.
and buy more problem is the 18 months
Problem is, the 18 months that we use these things are just a blip in their entire lifecycle.
that we use these things are just a blip in their entire lifecycle and that's
And that’s where these dump designers aren’t just causing a pain in our wallets.
where these dump designers aren't just causing a pain in our wallets they're
They’re creating a global toxic emergency!
causing a global toxic emergency
See, electronics start where most stuff starts, in mines and factories.
you see electronic start where most stuff starts in
Many of our gadgets are made from more than 1,000 different materials,
factories many of our gadgets are made from a thousand different materials
shipped from around the world to assembly plants. There, workers turn them into products,
shipped from around the world to assembly plants their workers turn them
using loads of toxic chemicals, like PVC, mercury, solvents and flame retardants.
into products using loads of toxic chemicals like PVC mercury solvents and flame retardants today this usually
Today this usually happens in far off places that are hard to monitor.
happens in far-off places that are hard
But it used to happen near my home, in Silicon Valley,
to monitor but it used to happen near my home in Silicon Valley which thanks to
which thanks to the electronics industry is one of the most poisoned communities
the electronics industry is one of the most poisoned communities in the US
in the U.S. IBM’s own data revealed that its workers making computer chips had 40% more miscarriages
IBM's own data revealed that its workers making computer chips had 40% more
and were significantly more likely to die from blood, brain and kidney cancer.
miscarriages and were significantly more likely to die from blood brain and
The same thing is starting to happen all around the world.
kidney cancer the same thing is starting to happen all around the world it turns
Turns out the high tech industry isn’t as clean as its image.
out the high tech industry isn't as clean as its image so after its toxic
So, after its toxic trip around the globe, the gadget lands in my hands.
trip around the globe it lands in my
I love it for a year or so and then it starts drifting further
hands I love it for a year or so and then it starts drifting further from its
from its place of honor on my desk or in my pocket.
place of honor on my desk or in my
Maybe it spends a little time in my garage
pocket maybe it spends a little time in my garage before being tossed out and
before being tossed out. And that brings us to disposal,
that brings us to disposal which we
which we think of as the end of its life.
think of as the end of its life but
But really it’s just moved on to become part of the mountains of e-waste we make every year.
really it's just moved on to become part of the mountains of e-waste we make every year
Remember how these devices were packed with toxic chemicals? Well there’s a simple rule of production:
remember how these devices were packed with toxic chemicals well there's a simple rule of production toxics in
toxics in, toxics out.
toxics out computers cell phones TVs all
Computers, cell phones, TVs, all this stuff, is just waiting to release all their toxics
this stuff is just waiting to release
when we throw them away.
all their toxic swen we throw them away
Some of them are slowly releasing this stuff even while we’re using them.
some of them are slowly releasing this stuff even while we're using them you
You know those fat, old TVs that people are chucking for high-def flat screens?
know those fat old TVs that people are chucking for hi-def flat screens they
They each have about 5 pounds of lead in them. Lead! As in lead poisoning!
each have about 5 pounds of lead in them lead as in lead poisoning so almost all
So almost all this e-waste either goes from my garage to a landfill or it gets shipped overseas to the garage
of this a waste either goes from my garage to a landfill or it gets shipped overseas to the garage workshop of some
workshop of some guy in Guiyu, China whose job it is to recycle it.
guy in wave China whose job it is to recycle it I've visited a bunch of these
I’ve visited a bunch of these so-called recycling operations.
so-called recycling operations workers
Workers, without protective gear, sit on the ground, smashing open electronics to recover the valuable
without protective gear sit on the ground smashing open electronics to
metals inside and chucking or burning the parts no one will pay them for.
recover the valuable metals inside and chucking or burning the parts that no one will pay them for so while I'm on to
So while I’m on to my next gadget,
my next gadget my last gadget is off
my last gadget is off poisoning families in Guiyu or India or Nigeria.
poisoning families in way or India or
Each year we make 25 million tonnes of e-waste
Nigeria each year we make 25 million
which gets dumped, burned or recycled.
tons of e-waste which gets dumped burned or recycled and most recycling is
And that recycling is anything but green.
anything but green so are the geniuses
So are the geniuses who design these electronics actually... evil geniuses? I don’t think so,
who designed these electronics actually evil I don't think so because the problems
because the problems they’re creating are well hidden even from them.
they're creating are well hidden even from them you see the companies they
You see, the companies they work
work for keep these human and
for keep these human and environmental costs out of sight and off their accounting books.
environmental costs out of sight and off they're counting books it's all about
It’s all about externalizing the true costs of production.
externalizing the true costs of
Instead of companies paying to make their facilities safe the workers pay with their health.
production instead of companies paying to make their facilities safe the workers pay with their health instead of
Instead of them paying to redesign using less toxics villagers pay by losing their clean drinking water.
them paying to redesign using fewer toxics villagers pay by losing their clean drinking water externalizing costs
Externalizing costs allows companies to keep designing for the dump –
allow companies to keep designing for
they get the profits and everyone else pays.
the dump they get the profits and everyone else pays when we go along with
When we go along with it, it’s like we’re looking at this toxic mess and saying to companies
it it's like we're looking at this toxic mess and saying to companies you made it
“you made it, but we’ll deal with it.”
but we'll deal with it I've got a better
I’ve got a better idea. How about “you made it, you deal with it”?
idea how about you made it you deal with it
Doesn’t that make more sense?
doesn't that make more sense imagine
Imagine that instead of all this toxic e-waste piling up
that instead of all this toxic waste piling up in our garages or in the
in our garages and the streets of Guiyu,
streets of way.you we sent it to the
we sent it to the garages of the CEOs who made it.
garages of the CEOs who made it you can
You can bet that they’d be on the phone to their designers demanding they
bet that they'd be on the phone to their designers pretty fast demanding they
stop designing for the dump.
stop designing for the dump making
Making companies deal with their e-waste is called Extended Producer Responsibility
companies deal with their a waste is called extended producer responsibility
or Product Takeback.
or product to take back if all these old
If all these old gadgets were their problem,
gadgets were their problem it would be
it would be cheaper for them to just design longer lasting, less toxic,
cheaper for them to just design them longer-lasting less toxic and more
and more recyclable products in the first place.
recyclable in the first place they could
They could even make them modular, so that when one part broke,
even make them modular so that when one part broke they could just send us a new
they could just send us a new piece, instead of taking back the whole broken mess.
piece instead of taking back the whole broken mess already take back laws are
Already takeback laws are popping up all over Europe and Asia.
popping up all over Europe and Asia
In the U.S. many cities and states are passing similar laws –
in the u.s. many cities and states are passing similar laws these laws need to
these need to be protected and strengthened.
be protected and strengthened it's time
It’s time to get these brainiacs working on our side.
to get these brainiacs on our side with
With takeback laws and citizen action to demand greener products,
take-back laws and citizen action to demand greener products we can start a
we are starting a race to the top, where designers compete to make long-lasting,
race to the top where designers compete to make long-lasting toxic-free products
toxic-free products. So, let’s have a green Moore’s law.
so let's have a green Moore's law how
How about:
about the use of toxic chemicals will be
the use of toxic chemicals will be cut in half every 18 months?
cut in half every 18 months the number
The number of workers poisoned will decline at an even faster rate?
of workers poisoned will decline it an even faster rate we need to give these
We need to give these designers a challenge they can rise to and do what they do best –
designers a challenge they can rise too and do what they do best innovate
innovate.
already some of them are realizing
Already, some of them are realizing they’re too smart to be dump designers
they're too smart to be dumped designers
and are figuring out how to make computers without PVC or toxic flame retardants.
and are figuring out how to make computers without PVC or toxic flame retardants good job guys
Good job guys. But we can do even more.
but we can do even more when we take our
When we take our e-waste to recyclers,
ways to recyclers we can make sure they
we can make sure they don’t export it to developing countries.
don't export it to developing countries
And when we do need to buy new gadgets, we can choose greener products.
and when we do need to buy new gadgets we can choose greener products but the
But the truth is: we are never going to just shop our way out of this problem
truth is we are never going to just shop our way out of this problem
because the choices available to us at the store are limited by choices of designers
because the choice is available to us at the store are limited by the choices of
and policymakers outside of the store. That’s why we need to join with others to demand
designers and policy makers outside of the store that's why we need to join with others to demand stronger laws on
stronger laws on toxic chemicals and on banning e-waste exports.
toxic chemicals and on banning a waste exports there are billions of people out
There are billions of people out there who want access to the incredible web of information
there who want access to the incredible web of information and entertainment
and entertainment electronics offer.
that electronics offer but if the access
But it’s the access they want, not all that toxic garbage.
they want not all the toxic garbage so
So let’s get our brains working on sending that old design for the
let's get our brains working on sending that old design for the dump mentality
dump mentality to the dump where it belongs and instead
to that dump where it belongs and instead building the electronics
building an electronics industry and a global society that’s designed to last.
industry and a global society that's designed to last [Music]
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