Connecting people at what price?
Okay, fine. I admit it. I'm not as concerned with environmental sustainability as I am offended by crass consumerism. But since avoiding overconsumption has a positive effect on environmental sustainability, I figure we can all be happy. And this makes me really happy: The Christmas Resistance Movement!
Happy Holidays!
Dear
_________________________________
Because special people deserve special gifts, I hope you enjoy your new:
o Mobile phone
o MP3 player
o Digital camera
o Computer
o Television
o Other ____________________________
Did you know that more than 140 000 tonnes of computer equipment, phones, televisions, stereos, and small home appliances accumulate in Canadian landfills each year? And that's not counting all the hazardous electronic waste, including cadmium, lead and mercury, that gets shipped to developing countries for disposal!
But new technology needn't be so wasteful and there is much we can do to ensure our own responsible use and disposal of electronics. Please reuse and recycle:
Apple Computers: Electronic Recycling
Bell Mobility: Recycle, Reuse, Redial
Dell Computers: Recycling
Electronics Product Stewardship Canada
Fido: Handset and battery recycling or disposal
Hewlett-Packard: Return & Recycling
Natural Resources Canada: Office of Energy Efficiency & ENERGY STAR®
RBRC: Call2Recycle
Rogers Wireless: Phones for Food
Telus Mobility: Return & Recycle
University of Victoria: Environmental Indicators
Peace and Love
_________________________________
Watching TV last night I was reminded just how strong the push to consume really is - especially this time of year.
For example, the latest Rogers Wireless ad - "gifts so nice they'll thank you twice" - has a young woman soliciting the help of her friends to come up with 1000 songs for the mobile phone she plans to give to a guy she has a crush on. The ability to personalise the phone with hand-picked songs reminded me of how we used to attempt to seduce each other with mixed tapes. I couldn't help but smile that the practice still exists, but it saddened and irritated me to see how expensive and wasteful it has become. I mean, is this really what we have in mind when we call for more technologies that bring us together?
The phone she gives to the guy is a Sony Ericsson W810i - and its price ranges from $150 to $360, depending on the service plan chosen (although the "choice" is actually determined by the credit rating of the customer). Now, the idea that love can be purchased isn't new: since at least 1947 De Beers has encouraged men to spend two months salary securing the committment of the women they wish to marry. But the Rogers' scenario isn't marriage, and it seems like a pretty expensive (in the broadest sense) gift to impress someone who probably already has a cell phone!
While I'm hopeful that not many people have the financial means to shop like this, it did get me thinking about how many people will give and receive mobile phones and other electronics for the holidays this year - and how many of these people already have fully functional devices that will soon end up in the closest, or worse. Much much worse.