ICT, the Electronics Industry and the

Environment:US EPA’s Role

Barbara Karn, PhDUS Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development

National Center for Environmental Research

www.epa.gov/ncerkarn.barbara@epa.gov

1 September, 2003NATO Advanced Research ConferenceBudapest, Hungary

To protect the environment and human health

EPA's Mission:

EPA Organizational Structure

Office of Research and Development

Labs and Centers

NCERNCERExtramural grants in all Extramural grants in all

research areasresearch areas

National Risk National Risk Management Management Research LabResearch Lab

National Center for National Center for Environmental AssessmentEnvironmental Assessment

National Health andNational Health andEnvironmental EffectsEnvironmental EffectsResearch LabResearch Lab

National Exposure ResearchNational Exposure ResearchLaboratoryLaboratory

Preventing and reducing risks to humans and the environment

Human and ecosystem exposure to pollutants

Effects of contaminantson human health and ecosystems

Human health and ecological risk assessment

NCER Extramural Programs

•Science To Achieve Results (STAR)

–Research Grants

–Competed Research Centers

–Graduate Fellowships

•Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

•Science To Achieve Results (STAR)

–Research Grants

–Competed Research Centers

–Graduate Fellowships

•Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

NCER High Priority Research Areas

•Science To Achieve Results (STAR)–Pollution Prevention and New Technologies

–Nanotechnology

–Economics and Decision Sciences

–Particulate Matter

–Drinking Water

–Global Change

–Ecological Risk

–Human Health/Children’s Health

–Endocrine Disruptors

•Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

LCI Modules for semiconductor manufacturing Electrolysis and ion Exchange for the In Process

recycling of Copper from Semi-Conductor Processing Solutions

Dry lithography: environmentally responsible processes for high resolution pattern transfer and elimination of image collapse using positive tone resists

Electronic product tags for lifecycle management

Technology for a Sustainable Environment

Sample ICT Sector Research Projects

Office of Environmental Information

Using Information technologies to meet EPA’s mission

System of Registries: the Foundation of EPA's Integration of Environmental Information

Envirofacts

(facilities, toxic release inventory, monitoring information)

A. Home Electronics:

Answering Machines & Cordless Phones, DVD & Home Audio, Set-Top Boxes, TVs & VCRs

B. Office Equipment :

Computers, Copiers, Faxes, Monitors,

Printers, Scanners

Energy Star

An EPA program in labeling energy efficient products

EPA’s Design for Environment Program

Life Cycle Assessment of Desktop Computer Displays

http://www.epa.gov/oppt/dfe/pubs/comp-dic/lca/Ch2.pdf

LCA impact results

Each EPA employee has 1 computer with 1 CRT monitor

20,000 employees replace their CRTs with flat screen LCDs

A simple example of the impact of EPA’s information technologies on the

environment

Using data from DfE report, 0.45 kg Pb/17 inch CRT

9 tonnes of Lead to be disposed of from EPA monitors!

0.8 M3 Lead ~ volume of 7 oil barrels

Billions $ in electronics Private fixed investment in equipment and software

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Computers/Peripherals

Software

Communication equipment

…and the production continues to grow

…with impacts at all stages

ResourceExtraction

MaterialsProcessing

ProductManufacture

ProductUse

Collection &Processing

WasteDisposal

Recycle Re-useRe-manufacture

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Is this what we want?

www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf

• Goal: Develop a national financing system, shared by manufacturers, retailers, government and consumers, to recover and recycle used PCs and TVs.

• Approach: EPA is funding University of Tennessee to facilitate a multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at identifying a recycling financing system and the steps that would be required (including necessary infrastructure, institutions) to implement the system.

• Partners: Over 15 manufacturers and 15 states involved. 18 others, including recyclers, retailers, NGOs, academics.

• Timing: Dialogue started June 2001. Hope for final decision in 2003.

National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI)

In 5 years…

– Manufacturers are designing and making electronics that are easier to reuse and recycle and contain fewer hazardous constituents.

– Consumers and businesses know which electronic products are more environmentally sustainable and are buying them.

– Consumers and businesses are returning their used electronics for reuse and recycling through convenient and low cost outlets.

– Reuse and recycling of used electronics is

environmentally safe and markets for these materials are robust.

NEPSI Vision

Organic Chemicals and Chemical Compounds

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol; 4-Bromophenyl phenyl ether ; Acenaphthene; Acenaphthylene ; Anthracene ; Benzo(g,h,i)perylene ; Dibenzofuran ; Dioxins/Furans; Endosulfan, alpha & Endosulfan, beta; Fluorene ; Heptachlor & Heptachlor epoxide; Hexachlorobenzene Hexachlorobutadiene; Hexachlorocyclohexane, gamma- Hexachloroethane ; Methoxychlor ; Naphthalene ; PAH Group (as defined in TRI) ; Pendimethalin ; Pentachlorobenzene Pentachloronitrobenzene; Pentachlorophenol ; Phenanthrene ; Pyrene; Trifluralin

Metals and Metal Compounds

Cadmium ; Lead; Mercury

Waste Minimization Priority Hazardous Chemicals

We are at the beginning of a Revolution in:

How things are made

And whether they are made

Where things are made

Rejeski, 2003

Nanotechnology is one aspect of the revolution

…and it offers opportunities for pollution prevention

New Green Manufacturing--Atom-by-atom construction--Less material to dispose of

Information for Environmental Protection/Risk Management--More efficient use of materials, more data on wastes

Dematerialization- less “stuff” to begin with

New Sensors for Industry Controls, Ecosystem Monitoring

Energy Savings--Light Weight, Embedded Systems

Ultra-Green and Waste-MinimizingUltra-Green and Waste-Minimizing by Technical Definition

1 nm = 10-9

m

The scale of things

Nanotech is bottom up

Making things by placing atoms precisely where they are supposed to go

Glenn Harlan Reynolds, 2001

A. Using “natural” ingredients, B. around room temperature, C. small machines for assembling, D. in non-toxic solvents, E. with the end of life disposal accounted for

This is how nature does it

First Industrial Revolution EPA

Second Industrial Revolution

Adapt Shape

Atoms/Bits (Digital/physical Converge)

Fluid, mobile, interconnectedExponential changeScience of disruption

AtomsSharp boundariesIncremental changeScience of discovery

Different Worlds/Different Challenges

Rejeski, 2003

How do we protect the environment in the next revolution?

First Industrial Revolution EPA

Next Industrial Revolution

By-Products of Production

1970

Products of Production

1990

Productionitself

1970

What we control

Rejeski, 2003

Time

Dam

ag

eEarly Awareness Matters: the opportunity for environmental protection

PreventionMinimal damages

Early warningEarly action

Control

Reversible damagesHigh social costs

System disturbances

Early warning/Late action orLate warning/Early action

Chaos

Run-away damagesCatastrophic costsSystem collapse

Oops!

Rejeski, 2003

High Speed and Discontinuities

Displays = Moore’s LawStorage = 1.5X’s Moore’s LawBandwidth = 2X’s Moore’s LawGPU’s = 2-3X’s Moore’s Law

Connect any number “n”of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get “n” squared potential value.

Metcalfe’s Law

Moore’s LawThe logic density of silicon integrated circuits doubles every 18 months

Monsanto’s LawThe amount of usefulgenetic information doubles every 18-24months.

Dawkin’s LawThe cost of sequencingDNA base pairs halvesevery 27 months.

Rejeski, 2003

How Fast Can Organizations Move?Organizational Clockspeeds

SemiconductorsPersonal ComputersCosmetics

AutomobilesMachine ToolsPharmaceuticals

SteelTobaccoPetrochemicalsElectricity

Years10 20 30 40 50

See: Fine, Charles: Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage

Government Agencies

Media

Rip van Winkle ScenarioSlow Learning/Adaptation

Environmental impacts are an unintended consequence of technology development and deployment

andRegulation must be applied to reduce impacts

Two Scenarios for coping with the new revolution

Vulcan ScenarioFast Learning/Shaping

Environment is co-optimized as a part of technology development and deployment, or is the primary goal

Rejeski, 2003

We can see enough about the future to identify goals worth pursuing

Eric Drexler, 1986, Engines of Creation

Green, environmentally benign ICT technology must be one of those

worthy goals.