Save the Poor!!

Over the last few months we have been talking about Green IT through various concepts and have been promoting the use of technology to bring back the touch of green to use it efficiently to limit our hardware needs. But why is this e-waste dangerous??

The smart looking devices we use have their skin, bones and organs made of lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, beryllium, barium, chromium, nickel, zinc, and sometimes silver and gold. If these materials are not disposed off properly, they can seep underground and can contaminate underground water leading to bioaccumulation, first in plants and then in animals and humans. To see how in different ways it can affect almost all our organs, click here or here.

If you have money, you can get treated; but why do you want to kill the poor? Once you no longer need your mobile, TV, computer or any other electronic device; dispose it properly. Don't be the reason for somebody's death.

A Gringo Fantasy

This recent Rainforest Alliance video follows the satirical journey of an Average Joe who quit his 9 to 5 job to move to Nicaragua and “live the clichéd gringo fantasy of becoming an honorary native and leading the resistant forces” against deforesters and their multinational employers.

With more than 4 million hits on YouTube, this viral video promoting Rainforest Alliance certified products shows how technology, especially social media, has transformed the way environmental organizations share their message and reach new audiences.

The spread of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other mainstream social networks has created a glut of information, but also a cost-effective way for organizations to build awareness about important societal and environmental issues. For example, Water Is Life’s video featuring Haitians reading #firstworldproblems tweets earned more than 1 million views in just 4 days, spread awareness of the problem of lack of clean water, and was featured as one of the Top 10 Social Media Marketing Campaigns of 2013 by Adhere Creative.

Crowd sourced BP logo

Social networks also allow consumers to interact directly with brands. Greenpeace has been especially effective in mobilizing people to fight back against polluters; for example, an online contest to redesign the BP logo was flooded with submissions featuring oil spills and devastated wildlife.

It will behoove both companies and nonprofit organizations to focus on the role social media plays in disseminating messages to a large audience as this can work both in favor and against their objectives.

CIO as Sustainability Champion

Mass panic following Chipotle’s recent announcement that rising avocado prices resulting from extreme drought may remove guacamole from menus in the future is a clear, albeit sensationalized, indicator of the increasing importance to business of managing the risks associated with climate change. 

Image via jamailac

Companies today must develop strategies to address the changing climate and the decreasing availability of natural resources to achieve long-term growth. Investors are also influencing companies to become more transparent about their environmental and social impact, according to a recent EY survey. Because of these factors, Triple Pundit reports that the majority of S&P 500 companies now issue sustainability reports.

While the majority of companies’ environmental impacts originate from their operations and require the COO’s involvement, making the Chief Information Officer (CIO) a key partner in developing a company’s sustainability strategy can improve results through implementation of new, high-tech solutions. Green IT solutions can improve a company’s bottom line and decrease its environmental impact in the following ways:

• Monitoring energy use: Homes and businesses today have more options than ever before for monitoring energy use and implementing automated energy-saving programs. Today’s green buildings are full of technologies that reduce consumption of water and electricity, thus reducing bills.
• Reducing travel through e-communication: By implementing strong videoconferencing and virtual communications tools, companies can cut down on travel, which is largely responsible for carbon emissions as well as timely and costly.
• Maximizing technology’s lifespan: Replacing hardware is costly and generates significant, dangerous e-waste. Considering these costs when purchasing new equipment can help companies choose products that are more durable and last longer.
• Recycling old technology: When computers and electronics are no longer useful in a business, they can provide tremendous value in underfunded schools and organizations worldwide. Nonprofits such as InterConnection.org recycle, refurbish, and distribute unwanted electronics.
• Safely disposing of e-waste: The fastest-growing stream of waste is from disposed electronic devices, which often have dangerous metals and toxins, as well as valuable materials. Ensuring that a company’s discarded electronics are properly recycled can reduce the environmental impact of hazardous waste products.

Throughout the next several months, this blog will explore in-depth several of the issues mentioned above, and more. The environmental problems of today and tomorrow cannot be addressed without using the full potential of Green IT.