ICT, the Electronics Industry and the Environment: US EPA’s Role

1. ICT, the Electronics Industry and the Environment: US EPA’s Role Barbara Karn, PhD US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Center for Environmental Research 1 September, 2003 NATO Advanced Research Conference Budapest, Hungary www.epa.gov/ncer karn.barbara@epa.gov

2. EPA's Mission: To protect the environment and human health

3. EPA Organizational Structure

4. Office of Research and Development Labs and Centers National Exposure Research Laboratory National Center for Environmental Assessment Human and ecosystem exposure to pollutants Human health and ecological risk assessment NCER Extramural grants in all research areas National Risk Management Research Lab National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab Preventing and reducing risks to humans and the environment Effects of contaminants on human health and ecosystems

5. NCER Extramural Programs • Science To Achieve Results (STAR) • Research Grants • Competed Research Centers • Graduate Fellowships • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

6. 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)

7. Technology for a Sustainable Environment • 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 Sample ICT Sector Research Projects

8. Office of Environmental Information Using Information technologies to meet EPA’s mission System of Registries: the Foundation of EPA's Integration of Environmental Information (facilities, toxic release inventory, monitoring information) Envirofacts

9. Energy Star An EPA program in labeling energy efficient products A. Home Electronics: Answering Machines & Cordless Phones, DVD & Home Audio, Set-Top Boxes, TVs & VCRs B. Office Equipment : Computers, Copiers, Faxes, Monitors, Printers, Scanners

10. 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

12. LCA impact results

13. A simple example of the impact of EPA’s information technologies on the environment Each EPA employee has 1 computer with 1 CRT monitor 20,000 employees replace their CRTs with flat screen LCDs 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

14. …and the production continues to grow

15. …with impacts at all stages Water Water Water Water Water Water Land Land Land Land Land Land Air Air Air Air Air Air Resource Extraction Materials Processing Product Manufacture Product Use Collection & Processing Waste Disposal Recycle Re-manufacture Re-use

16. Is this what we want? www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf

17. National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) • 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.

18. NEPSI Vision 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.

19. Waste Minimization Priority Hazardous Chemicals 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

20. Where things are made And whether they are made We are at the beginning of a Revolution in: How things are made Rejeski, 2003

21. Nanotechnology is one aspect of the revolution …and it offers opportunities for pollution prevention Ultra-Green and Waste-Minimizingby Technical Definition • 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

22. The scale of things 1 nm = 10-9 m

23. Nanotech is bottom up Making things by placing atoms precisely where they are supposed to go Glenn Harlan Reynolds, 2001 This is how nature does it 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

24. EPA Second Industrial Revolution Different Worlds/Different Challenges First Industrial Revolution Adapt Shape Atoms Sharp boundaries Incremental change Science of discovery Atoms/Bits (Digital/physical Converge) Fluid, mobile, interconnected Exponential change Science of disruption Rejeski, 2003

25. EPA Next Industrial Revolution 1990 1970 Products of Production Production itself How do we protect the environment in the next revolution? 1970 First Industrial Revolution What we control By-Products of Production Rejeski, 2003

26. Chaos Control Prevention Minimal damages Reversible damages High social costs System disturbances Run-away damages Catastrophic costs System collapse Early warning/ Late action or Late warning/ Early action Early warning Early action Oops! Early Awareness Matters: the opportunity for environmental protection Damage Time Rejeski, 2003

27. Moore’s Law The logic density of silicon integrated circuits doubles every 18 months Monsanto’s Law The amount of useful genetic information doubles every 18-24 months. Dawkin’s Law The cost of sequencing DNA base pairs halves every 27 months. Metcalfe’s Law Connect any number “n”of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get “n” squared potential value. High Speed and Discontinuities Displays = Moore’s Law Storage = 1.5X’s Moore’s Law Bandwidth = 2X’s Moore’s Law GPU’s = 2-3X’s Moore’s Law Rejeski, 2003

28. Government Agencies How Fast Can Organizations Move? Organizational Clockspeeds Media Semiconductors Personal Computers Cosmetics Automobiles Machine Tools Pharmaceuticals Steel Tobacco Petrochemicals Electricity 10 20 30 40 50 Years See: Fine, Charles: Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage

29. Vulcan Scenario Fast Learning/Shaping Environment is co-optimized as a part of technology development and deployment, or is the primary goal Two Scenarios for coping with the new revolution Rip van Winkle Scenario Slow Learning/Adaptation Environmental impacts are an unintended consequence of technology development and deployment and Regulation must be applied to reduce impacts Rejeski, 2003

30. 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.