3forE - E-WasteProposal

8/14/2019 3forE - E-WasteProposal

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Andrew Berggren John Nelson Rachel Horntvedt

ENGL 326: Writing for the Design ProfessionsProfessor Kevin Brooks

Fall 2009

RFP: Contributing to a Virtual Peace Garden

An Installation Meant to

Bring Awareness tothe Problem of E-Waste


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Fall 2009

3 for E650 NP Fargo, ND 58102

4 December 2009

Kevin BrooksMinard 322E Albrecht Blvd. Fargo, ND 58105Teaching 15 in Second Life

Dear Kevin Brooks,

Our group 3 for E has been inspired by your work in the Virtual Peace Garden and would like to make our mark ofpeace here. As a group we would like to bring awareness to the growing problem of electronic waste. In the articleBattling the problem of E-waste by Evelyn Lee (2008) she explained that E-waste accounted for 2.2 million tons ofour countries total waste in 2005 and contributes 40% of all the toxic metals in our landlls. For these reasons andmany more our group would like to use Second Life to spread awareness. We feel that this is an excellent place to

portray this subject due largely to its wide base of users from an assortment of backgrounds that all utilize electronicsBecause the users of Second Life are a global population, we would have the opportunity to target this problem in thesame way the problem aects us. Hopefully we could use a call to action in Second Life that would translate directlyinto the users rst life. That seems to be enough with the reasons why; lets now look at what can be done in SecondLife.

Imagine a large gathering of electronic waste similar to a galaxy. The electronic waste would be swirling around alarge rock like mass o in the distance. You see it rotating in the atmosphere of the Virtual Peace Garden and quicklydecide to take ight and explore for yourself . As you y through the waste reading the passing screens you startto comprehend the problem of E-waste, and click on a passing screen to learn more. Up pops a note card with theexplanations for the installment, and your questions are answered. A second note card informs you that your Second

Life e-waste can be brought and deposited at the installment. You read that taking objects away for later usage inSecond Life is also highly encouraged. As you continue to click you discover more and more valuable information on thisenvironmental problem. Now as you approach the large mass of waste in the center, you discover it is inhabitable andthe interior contains hundreds of television screens cycling through information and visuals concerning this problemAs you leave you take one quick look back and decide to logout, leaving this as your background for the day.

As a group we feel this installment will successfully convey the information on e-waste to users. We are excited aboutits highly engaging interface and feel that it should prove most captivating for participants. We are condent thatthis artful installation will be a must see for visitors of the Virtual Peace Garden. Through this installation the user willeave rst of all informed of a new problem, and secondly, armed with plenty of knowledge to make use of in theirreal life.


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Fall 2009

Executive SummaryAcknowledging the opportunity before us, to create a space within the Virtual Peace Garden where we could imparta mark of peace, we, 3 for E, have elected to bring awareness to the growing problem of electronic waste. It has beenreported that in 2005, e-waste accounted for 2.2 million tons of our countries total waste and contributed 40% of allthe toxic metals found in our landlls. In consideration of this, we feel that it is necessary to bring to Second Life aninstallment that would be not only visually appealing, but also interactive and educational.

A peace monument is a great project to conduct via the internet due in large part to the number people having accessto our ideas and thus we feel that the Virtual Peace Garden in Second Life is an excellent place for us to elucidatethe problem of e-waste. The global network of Second Life users perpetuate the dilemma that is e-waste and thuslend themselves as primary targets for our campaign. We fervently acknowledge that the use of an electronic mediaSecond Life, aords us an opening through which we can all the more greatly magnify our reproach.

We propose a highly engaging, graphic installation of e-waste, similar to a galaxy, with discarded electronics swirlingaround a central core. As one passes through this mass of e-waste they will be confronted with information, statisticsand images relating to the problem. Visitors to our installation would also be encouraged to deposit their old electronicsas well as take pieces away to be salvaged and reused.

3 for E places great hope in our installation, for it would prove to be a captivating experience for Second Life userswhere they would not only gain knowledge about a very real problem, but would also be compelled to take action.Also adding their waste to our installation and encouraging others to come and visit the site would be instrumental toour success. We aspire that the experience of visiting our installation would motivate Second Life users to take actionand do something about the problem of e-waste in real life.


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Fall 2009

CredentialsGreetings from 3 for E. To start we should explain that our group name was taken from the task we elected to representthe preservation of the environment. So naturally we chose 3 for E meaning the three of us Andrew Berggren, JohnNelson and Rachel Horntvedt stand for the preservation of the E, environment. Our project started by selecting a topicthat would contribute to peace and could be represented in a peace garden. We were then introduced to the virtuaworld of Second Life. Since then we have been focused on representing the concept of peace through structuredSecond Life interactions.

A peace monument is a great project to conduct via the internet because so many people would have access toour ideas and after a somewhat lengthy research and brainstorming period we decide that the issue of electronicwaste was a worthy and urgent cause to illuminate. After reviewing the resources that we possessed, we came tothe realization that were highly qualied to contribute to this issue. The fact that we are all college students in acomposition class for which we have set aside valuable research and collaboration time, largely qualies us. Anotherunifying theme is that we are all young and what society would call, technologically inclined. Individually it should benoted that John has seasoned experience with internet researching, as well as graphic representations. To complimenthis graphic interests, he has been employed by the graphics service shop in the NDSU memorial union this entireyear. As far as Andrews qualications carry, he has worked specically on establishing a recycling program in his

home town of East Grand Forks, MN. This was accomplished through collaborations between his Boy Scout troop andthe city government. It is also to be recognized that both John and Andrew have achieved the rank of eagle scoutsthrough their respective troops in which they have each committed countless hours to working with and serving theircommunities. As far as Rachels credentials go, she brings to the team 10 plus years of project experience from herparticipation in 4-H as well as several hundred hours of community service through her High School National HonorSociety. Rachel has also recently gained an enormous amount of design build experience, following a project designfrom conception, through production and nally to completion, as a part of her involvement in Freedom by DesignNow that our qualications have been quantied, methods made known, and reasoning reviewed; let us begin.


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Fall 2009

RFP: Contributing to a Virtual Peace GardenHow many electronic devices do you own? Could you aord to do without even one of them? Technology has enabledus to accomplish a vast array of tasks, in a fraction of the time previously required, but at what cost. The dollar drivensociety Americans thrive on has left us heartlessly detached from where moral values once lie. E-waste accumulationhas pronounced itself as one of many twenty rst century problems that Americans must embrace. Not only has theamassment of e-waste imposed on the livelihoods of foreign handlers of these devices, but our environment has trulysuered a decapitating blow as well.

Problem: Electronic waste (here after referred to as e-waste) has been exponentially increasing as the worldstechnological advances ceaselessly place the latest and greatest devices in our hands and proper disposal of thesegadgets once theyve expired is only a myth.

Harmful E-Waste Components

According to Dr. Gordon Brown, a mineralogist and geologist at Stanford University, one of the most toxic materialsknown to humankind, Cinnabar (HgS) is a primary mineral used in the renement of the heavy metal mercury. (2006)So that you can understand this clearly, I must explain that every computer, cell phone, stereo, television and hand-held gaming device you at this very moment carry in your bag or have children at home playing with; depend on

components comprised of mercury. The wonderful news for you and your family is that these toxins have so far beenproven only dangerous during the production and disassembly of your favorite toys.

A research article 2007 by Sarah Webb of Science News shed light on how electronics are primitively harvested for theirprecious materials. It described southern China as the largest dumping grounds for obsolete electronics worldwideThe article went on to say that people who dismantle electronics for extended periods of time end up having bromineatoms found in their blood. This toxic heavy metal is lethal to humans, and is especially dangerous to human fetuses(2007) These facts lead us to question not only our nations but also our worlds values, or complete ignorance, if we

believe that our waste magically and harmlessly dissipates once it has left our sight.

Current E-Waste Recycling Information

Overtime we have reduced our waste disposal methods to a siphoning action that has overlooked the separation ofharmful waste from other trash. Especially, recently, we have been letting a hazardous type of waste slip through ourngers unknowingly. Electronic waste has been exponentially lling our dumping grounds, and as stated by recyclingproponent and author E. Lee, in 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported there was 2.2 million tonsof electronic waste being deposited throughout the United States. (2008) Electronic waste such as our computerscell phones, and appliances have become one of the largest growing forms of waste according to the paper GlobaPerspectives on e-waste, rising from 20 million obsolete PCs in 1994 to over 100 million obsolete PCs in 2004. (2005)These increases along with the toxic metals contained in e-waste such as lead, mercury, and cadmium (2008) are whywe need to take reformative action calling for the proper disposal of this waste.


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Fall 2009

The United States is not the only country suering from this problem. E-waste has become a global problem thathas had a much larger eect on the poorer nations. With it being estimated that 50-80% of the collected e-waste inthe U.S. isnt being recycled but instead being shipped to foreign nations, its easy to see how quickly it is becomingtheir problem. (2005) The fact that we are paying these foreign nations to dispose of our waste coupled with theirpoor disposal methods, makes this a growing global pandemic. (2005) Without handling this material properly thesecountries are putting themselves at future health risks from the decomposing toxic metals lead, mercury, cadmium, aswell as a multitude of others. (2005) The potential health problems to their population along with the environmentaimpact bring signicant reasoning to why we must push for global awareness.

E-Waste Recycling Case Studies

Though this is an alarming problem there are many successful cases of recycling and proper disposal of these productsIn some instances, companies are taking on recycling as their personal responsibility by funding collection and recyclingfacilities. One example shown in the article Battling the Problem of E-waste is LG electronics, whom in partnershipwith WM Recycle America have established an e-waste recycling program to run nationwide (2008). They have set upa take back program for all electronic products at 160 drop o locations across the United States. (2005) This styleof set up has proven both benecial for the manufacture by allowing them to utilize the recycled metals, but alsofor the consumer by giving them an alternative option for their electronic waste. This, however, isnt the only optionconsumers have. Wagner, in his article Shared responsibility for managing electronic waste: A case study of Mainedescribes what Maine has done to combat the problem of e-waste. In Maine they have set up a monthly electronicwaste pick up on the garbage routes that are jointly funded by the consumer, the manufacturer and the government(2009) Since the implementation of this program, Wagner has shown the recycling of electronic waste in Maine tosteadily increase throughout the years starting with an 108% increase in 2005, then up to 170% in 2006 and nally 221%in 2007. (2008) The success of this program has been viewed as both feasible due to the shared responsibility, andconvenient because of the numerous drop o locations instituted throughout Maine. Though this is not the only wayto approach the problem of e-waste, these case studies provide a great starting point to what could be a large scaletrend towards the proper disposal of e-waste and the end to a growing problem.

A Call to Action Through Art

We live in a visual world, one where we are increasingly becoming dependent on electronics such as televisions,computers, cell phones and cameras. This increase in electronics, however, brings with it an increase in electronicwaste. As weve already discussed there are several recycling options for e-waste, however there is another approachone that looks at garbage as a form of art, that some have decided to take. This art installation approach follows the oldadage, one mans trash is another mans treasure and by challenging what makes something art, transforms e-wasteinto not only something that is visually appealing, but also draws our attention to the problem at hand and hopefullygrabs us somewhere down deep in our soul, in our conscience and makes us want to do something, makes us want toact, to work towards a solution to the problem of the growing amounts of e-waste being discarded improperly.


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Fall 2009

Chris Jordan, a digital artist, uses large-scale images of e-waste to call attention to the problem of consumer massconsumption. Running the Numbers, his most recent exhibition includes images portraying a large quantity of itemssuch as cell phones, spent bullet casings and circuit boards. Jordan says, The underlying design is to emphasizethe role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming. (2008)Jordans use of photography to capture the severity of American mass consumption and e-waste is very compelling,however it exemplies only one way that art and e-waste can be brought together to state a message.

TS2 is an environmentally based collaborative art installation that

utilizes salvaged/recycled materials such as plastics, woods, paper,metals, fabrics and e-waste. The project was a collaborative eortbetween a group of artists (Tony Adams, Chaco Kato, Ash Keatingand Dylan Martorell) under the title of Slow Art Collective and wasin partnership with the Moonee Valley City Council Waste TransferStation and the adjacent Incinerator Arts Complex in Victoria,Australia. (2009) Slow Art Collective really took this idea a stepfurther with their installation by ling several gallery spaces withpiles and piles of various types of e-waste. As you can see from theimages, they used the many colors and textures that can be foundin e-waste to create a truly eye catching display that highlights howmuch space discarded e-waste actually occupies.


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Fall 2009

Another example of an art installation used to bring awareness to individual consumption and waste, is a project doneby Song Dong that took place at the Museum of Modern Art. In his installation, Song, Dong features 50 years worthof contents from his Mothers home as a way of unveiling the life of a typical Chinese woman through the objectsshe collected in her lifetime. (2009) Waste Not, as Song Dongs installation is entitled is a very visual example of howmuch one person can accumulate. The Waste Not installation also oers a glimpse into another culture and reallymakes you question how dierent the installation would look if it were to be based on your own life.

As can be seen by these installations, garbage, even e-waste, can be viewed as art as well as function as a way to raiseawareness about an important issue. They truly show that one mans trash CAN be another mans treasure.

A Look at a Possible Solution

When someone simply throws away their used electronics, just because they are out of their house, out of their sightthat does not mean they have found a proper home. It is imperative to understand that humans abide on one earth;there is no them or us, but only we. As long as you and I are humans existing on this planet, proper disposal of e-wasteis our problem. We have discovered at least one prominent solution to responsible recycling, which we will now touchon.

The strongest voice is the publics call for manufactures to be held responsible for the recycling of their own productsWe as a group feel this would be best handled as a split fee situation where the consumer would pay, for example,double the cost of recycling the item. Then once they have fully consumed the product, they would bring it back tothe store where they made the originally purchase, and receive half of that original investment back. This systemwould provide the manufactures with the funding necessary to recycle their product properly, and the client with anincentive to return the product. There are other recycling programs currently being implemented, we simply chose tohighlight this one example. The main focus from here is how we can promote the concept of responsible recycling toAmericans and the world, via the virtual world of Second Life.


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Fall 2009

A Walkthrough of Our Proposed Second Life Installation

In an eort to bring awareness to the electronic waste problem our group plans to create a monument in the virtuaworld Second Life. We plan to create an installment that would be like a miniature galaxy of swirling electronic wastein hopes that it could be appealing, interactive, and educational. This installment shall be a oating mass in the virtuaplot Teaching 15 or the Virtual Peace Garden in Second Life.

When visiting Second Life, one would teleport to the virtual plot Teaching 15 and o beyond the trees and billboards

up at the top edge of the screen one would see some objects slowly traveling through the sky. In ones curiosity theyclick the y button and begin their ascent to this swirling mass of objects. As the fog clears, an image loads, unveilinga large mass of sparkling objects orbiting around a glowing central mass. As one ies through the objects you runinto things such as TVs, PCs, phones, stereos, and the like. Up next a large at screen TV passes ashing CLICK MEand one does the only reasonable thing and engage. From here you are presented with one of a possible many notecards that contain information about the installment and the problem of e-waste. These encourage one to continueto explore working your way to the center but continuing to click on the way there. Continuing on you realize many ofthe objects are free to take and recycle for your own use. One soon nds a note card explaining the opportunity moreand learns about the opportunity to also bring your electronic waste here. So now, perhaps one continues on to thecenter where you nd a large spherical shape covered with marquees relaying messages about e-waste. Amongst themarquees one nds what appears to be something like an entrance to a cave. You y down to check it out and uponentering one is confronted by a room of old television screens, compiled together as a mass, depicting problematicinformation about electronic waste. At this point one is welcome to remain in the space as long as desired, but throughthe experience we hope to have instilled in the user an awareness of the problem along with some basic knowledgeon how to prevent this problems growth.

Second Life and Real Life Outcomes

We hope to use our installation in Second Life to call awareness to the issues surrounding e-waste in real life. It is ourhope that by visiting our installation Second Life users would not only gain knowledge about a very real problem,but would also be compelled to take action in Second Life by adding their waste to our installation and encouragingothers to come and visit our site. We also hope that the experience of visiting our installation would motivate SecondLife users to take action and do something about the problem of e-waste in real life. Real life involvement could besomething as simple as locating the nearest e-waste recycling center and dropping o your old items there, or workingwith your community to create an e-waste recycling program if there is currently not one in place. A more involvedapproach could include hosting informational sessions to not only inform, but also educate the public about the issueor even working with ones local and state governments to create better recycling programs with stricter guidelinesfor the disposal of the waste.

Now its time for YOU to make the seless decision to get involved and take action. We encourage you, as an ablebodied, community minded person to not sit back and watch our planet be mistreated, but instead go out, locate arecycling center in your area and drop o your old electronics so that they may be properly disposed of. Doing thismay cost you a little bit of money, but the reward for recycling your e-waste will be your peace of mind. Knowingthat youve made the right decision and that your loved ones will live in a cleaner and safer world due to your modest

commitment, can be described in no better way than simply priceless.


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Fall 2009

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(2009, July 15). Waste not art installation by song dong. Retrieved from http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/07/15/waste-not-art-installation-by-song-dong/

Brown, G. (2006, June 3). Dangerous and benecial minerals. Retrieved (2009, November 23) from emsi.stanford.edu doc/MostDangerous-Minerals.doc

Ellsevier. Widmer, R., Oswald-Krapf, H., Sinha-Khetriwal, D., Schnellmannc, M., Bonia, H., (2005, April 21). Globalperspectives on e-waste. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25, 436-458.

Lee, E. (2008, August 25). Battling the Problem of E-Waste: Manufactures launch recycling programs. NJBIZ, pp. 1, 8.

Keating, Ash. (2009). Slow art collective - ts2. Retrieved from http://sac-ts2.blogspot.com/

Martorell, Dylan. (2009). Transfer station 2. Retrieved from http://slowtransfer.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=3

Pilloton, Emily. (2008, January 30). Chris Jordan creates beauty from e-waste. Retrieved from http://www.inhabitat.

com/2008/01/30/chris-jordan-creates-beauty-from-e-waste/

Schwietert, Julie. (2009, July 15). Intolerable beauty: Chris Jordan photographs American mass consumption.Retrieved from http://matadorchange.com/intolerable-beauty-chris-jordan-photographs-american-mass-consumption/

Wagner, T. (2009, June 1) Shared responsibility for managing electronic waste: A case study of Maine, USA.

Webb, S. (2007, July 14). E-waste hazards: Chinese gear recyclers absorb toxic chemicals. Science News, 172,Retrieved from JSTOR.

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3forE - E-WasteProposal