What Does India’s E-Waste Law Mean?
In 2009, SVTC traveled to India to work with Chintan, a group in Delhi working on the electronic waste (e-waste) issue. Together we produced the film, Citizens at Risk . In the following blog series we will be updating you on the progress of the work to work with informal recyclers to improve working …
Strengthening California’s Weak e-Waste Law
California is the home to electronic companies such as HP and Apple and also to one of the weakest e-waste recycling laws in the country. Why? Because California passed a “let the company ride free law” – meaning that we as consumers have to pay for the collection of e-waste instead of the company. That …
Let the Cat Out of the Bag!
Let the cat out of the bag! Don’t look now, but the chemical industry in California is trying to prevent you from purchasing products that could help save your cat or dog’s life! SB 147 (sponsored by Senator Mark Leno) simply wants to “require the Bureau of Home Furnishings to include an alternative flammability standard …
Solar Scorecard 2011 Launch
Earlier this week, SVTC released our 2011 Solar Scorecard. One of our goals with the Solar Scorecard is to allow residential and commercial consumers to see where manufacturers stand on issues related to the environment, sustainability and social justice issues. Transparency is important as informed consumers make the smartest choices. If you want to …
E-Waste at Stanford, from A Student’s Perspective
By Olivia Isaac Sophomore, Materials Science Engineering/Civil Engineering Major I know it’s pathetic to admit, but my computer is the love of my life. My whole life is on it – represented through photos with my friends, essays for class, and my whole class/dance practice/lab schedule. Then one day the unthinkable happened; it wouldn’t turn …
SVTC testifies at Oversight Hearing on E-waste
Testimony from Sheila Davis, Executive Director Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition To California Assembly Oversight Hearing on Waste Management in California, Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxics Materials and Assembly Committee on Natural Resources February 28, 2011 Mr. Chairman and Committee Members: I am Sheila Davis, and I am the Executive Director of the Silicon …
Movie Review for "The Story of Electonics"
by Hyunsuk Shawn Yoo, Morgan Abbett students at Stanford University Have you ever thought about what happens to your used electronic products after you dispose them? Well, most computers, televisions, media players and other electronics, after being dumped after an average of mere 18 months of use, either are exported to the third world or …
The Solar Company Surveys have been sent!
Last year the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition released our first Solar Scorecard ranking solar manufacturers on their commitment to the environment and other socially responsible issues. The scores for the companies were based on their responses to our survey. In preparation for our 2011 Solar Scorecard we just sent out the new Solar Company Survey …
Reflections on Solar Power International
I just spent a few days at the Solar Power International Conference in LA. And as the industry grows, so does this conference. Solar Companies from around the world were there to umm… shine (I couldn’t help it). As I went from booth to booth, speaking to solar companies about participating in our upcoming survey …
The FoxConn Suicides
I am not sure how many readers of our blog have been following the situation at Foxconn in China where a number of workers have jumped to their death due to the fact that they are overworked and underpaid with deplorable working conditions. You can find the story here. Foxconn manufactures motherboards. I saw an …