THE ENGINEER AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
Editorial - Digital_Angel_316:
The thoughtful engineer seeks to design and implement new products that are beneficial to mankind, and in so doing we must take into account the effects on society and the environment. Part of the tradeoff analysis we go through should include these concerns, some of which are now regulated by International Law (see below). We can make a better engine (car, bus, truck or plane) that pollutes less, but perhaps we need also to work on cutting frivolous and unnecessary travel; The Sports Travel from middle school to the big leagues, The School Busing System can be transferred to the walking school bus, The Teamsters cutting long distance twinkies, ho-ho's, devil dogs and interstate produce. We war over oil reserves and access to other energy sources without thinking. The Power Grid won't keep time because of phase introductions that we need to question, but further, we need to question our use of electrical power, whatever it's source of energy. Without being a tree-hugger, hippie, dropout, we can all be more aware, help make others more aware, and do our part as good engineers, and good citizens of the planet to look for and design a truly sustainable biological- sociological-ecological-economical world. Some of this mindset will result in having, doing and going less while still being thankful for clean air, clean water, safe nutrition, shelter and clothing - the law of conservation of energy afresh. -- I look forward to your thoughtful comments.
Legislation, particularly ROHS and REACH, can impact a wide range of electronic components ranging from semiconductors, passive components, connectors and a wide range of chemical based products such as adhesives and sealants. Farnell offers a dedicated global legislation website [2 global legislation] that provides all the latest information on:
The global legislation website offers industry leading, easy to follow, Step-by-Step Guides on all of these Directives that guide through the complexity of compliance. [2 global legislation]
REFERENCES:
Editorial - Digital_Angel_316:
The thoughtful engineer seeks to design and implement new products that are beneficial to mankind, and in so doing we must take into account the effects on society and the environment. Part of the tradeoff analysis we go through should include these concerns, some of which are now regulated by International Law (see below). We can make a better engine (car, bus, truck or plane) that pollutes less, but perhaps we need also to work on cutting frivolous and unnecessary travel; The Sports Travel from middle school to the big leagues, The School Busing System can be transferred to the walking school bus, The Teamsters cutting long distance twinkies, ho-ho's, devil dogs and interstate produce. We war over oil reserves and access to other energy sources without thinking. The Power Grid won't keep time because of phase introductions that we need to question, but further, we need to question our use of electrical power, whatever it's source of energy. Without being a tree-hugger, hippie, dropout, we can all be more aware, help make others more aware, and do our part as good engineers, and good citizens of the planet to look for and design a truly sustainable biological- sociological-ecological-economical world. Some of this mindset will result in having, doing and going less while still being thankful for clean air, clean water, safe nutrition, shelter and clothing - the law of conservation of energy afresh. -- I look forward to your thoughtful comments.
"In the fashion-conscious mobile market, 98 million U.S. cell phones took their last call in 2005. All told, the EPA estimates that in the U.S. that year, between 1.5 and 1.9 million tons of computers, TVs, VCRs, monitors, cell phones, and other equipment were discarded. If all sources of electronic waste are tallied, it could total 50 million tons a year worldwide, according to the UN Environment Programme." [1 wiki-RoHS]
American electronics sent offshore to countries like Ghana in West Africa under the guise of recycling may be doing more harm than good. Not only are adult and child workers in these jobs being poisoned by heavy metals, but these metals are returning to the U.S. "The U.S. right now is shipping large quantities of leaded materials to China, and China is the world's major manufacturing center," Dr. Jeffrey Weidenhamer says, a chemistry professor at Ashland University in Ohio. "It's not all that surprising things are coming full circle and now we're getting contaminated products back." [1 wiki-RoHS]
Legislation affects all companies, in particular the design engineer, whether it be the removal of toxic substances from equipment, the eco-logical design of products from the outset, the tighter control of hazardous substances right through to the efficient and safe recycling at a products end-of-life.
Legislation, particularly ROHS and REACH, can impact a wide range of electronic components ranging from semiconductors, passive components, connectors and a wide range of chemical based products such as adhesives and sealants. Farnell offers a dedicated global legislation website [2 global legislation] that provides all the latest information on:
- * ROHS Directive – restricts the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
- * REACH Regulations – intends to tighten the use of chemicals and in particular requires the authorisation of use of substances of very high concern or SVHC
- * Energy using Products Directive – considers energy consumption from the mining of the raw material right through to recycling at end-of-life
- * WEEE – encourages the EDE to look at safe and efficient recycling at the design stage of a product
- * Batteries – A new battery directive with substance restrictions and labelling requirements with a focus on reducing the number of batteries that finish up in landfill.
REFERENCES:
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