Carbon footprint. Climate change. Fairtrade produce. Social and ethical investments. These are phrases repeated across the developed world, in the media, around dinner tables, even in the pub (now smoke-free). Rising interest in environmentally-friendly, ethical living is changing the attitudes of governments, corporations and consumers.
What has this to do with Web design? Pushing pixels seems far removed from such concerns. But Web designers and developers have as much responsibility as anyone else to incorporate the reduce, reuse and recycle mantra into our business practices, perhaps even formulating an ethical policy.
When it comes to Web design and development, you might assume the three Rs refer to reducing markup to its semantic essentials, reusing the common functionality provided by JavaScript libraries from site to site, and recycling useful structures in existing sites when designing new ones. But by applying the environmental principles to their business practices, Web professionals can make better use of their main resources: computer equipment and energy (which will be examined another time).
OK Computer
Typically, manufacturing a computer requires at least 240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of assorted chemicals (including harmful and toxic substances such as brominated flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride, cadmium, mercury and lead) and 1,500 litres of water in a process that is over five times as energy intensive as car production. Some manufacturers are beginning to heed the environmental message, but only after strong campaigning and progress is likely to be slow. It will remain true that, unlike many other home appliances, energy used during a computer’s life cycle is dominated by what is used in production (81%), not operation (source: United Nations University).
While around two thirds of UK households have one (source: ONS), you can be sure that 100% of Web professionals’ homes contain a computer, perhaps two or three. If it can be expected that consumers will replace older computers with new, more powerful equipment every three to four years, it’s likely that Web developers will be unpacking the latest hardware every two years. Most of the discarded machinery will end up in landfill or be exported to developing countries (usually the place of its manufacture) for recycling, often carried out in poorly-regulated communities, where health risks and pollution worries are a low priority. Exploited workers, many of them children, dismantle the computers for parts, becoming exposed to the dangerous toxins that threaten their health and the environment.
Ethical steps
- Ideally, extend your computer’s life as much as possible. Upgrading an existing machine is preferable to buying a new one.
- The bulky CRT monitor taking up all that space on your desk, however, should be replaced with a flat panel TFT screen that is much more energy-efficient and contains fewer harmful chemicals.
- When finally disposing of a computer, organisations like Computer Aid International and Recycle-IT can refurbish your PC (after securely destroying the data on the hard drive) and donate it to UK voluntary groups and charities, or education, health and not-for-profit organisations in developing countries.
- To help you source new equipment, Ethiscore, the online shopping guide of Ethical Consumer magazine, provides information and ratings for many computer manufacturers.
Holly Fortenberry | 31 Oct 2007 at 01:53