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Flashcards by Malachy Moran-Tun, updated more than 1 year ago
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| Question | Answer |
| What is E-Waste? | > Discarded electronic devices. yup it's that simple |
| Why is E-Waste so Common? | > Technology is hard to repair, often because of manufacturers themselves (up the right to repair movement), making it easier to replace a product > Technology is often manufactured to have short life-spans, making people replace their device every 12-18 months (thanks Apple! and capitalism) |
| What is the Problem with Disposing E-Waste? | > Often includes toxic chemicals > Strict rules about the disposal of e-waste, imposed by the WEEE (Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment) > These rules are often bypassed by sending e-waste to poorer countries with fewer regulations, causing problems for their food and/or water |
| Why are Data Centres Bad for Energy Consumption? | > Servers need to be powered, but also the hardware needs to be cooled, which takes up massive amounts of energy > In 2011, it was calculated that data centres take up 2% of America's total power consumption |
| How can Data Centres' Energy Consumption be Reduced? | > Using hot and cold aisles to ensure that the server's outtake does not blow into another's intake > Virtualisation can reduce the amount of physical servers by splitting one piece of hardware into multiple virtual servers, which reduces redundant servers |
| What is the Problem with Natural Resource Mining for Technology? | > Electronic devices often contain a lot of rare materials, which only occur in small quantities > Mining for said resources is usually done in countries with less / no human rights > Crude oil is used for plastics, which has many detrimental environmental impacts, e.g., spillages |
| What are some Positive Environmental Impacts due to Technology? | > Online communication reduces the need for travel, reducing pollution, particularly from cars, trains, and planes > Modelling allows for scientists to monitor and predict the effects of climate change > Models and simulations have been used to test and improve the efficiency of various devices, e.g., car engines > Automation allows for exact amounts of resources to be used, e.g., in central heating > Advent of digital documents allows for paperless communication, reducing documentation |
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