Wooden computers offer 'greener' desktop
Around
45 million new personal computer systems were bought in 2002-03 in the United States alone, many of which will end up in landfills. There is growing concern that the plastic skeletons are stacking up, and that
toxic materials in their casings, chips and displays are leaching into the environment.
Standard plastic computer casings contain chemicals called brominated flame retardants, added to improve fire safety. Once in the environment, the cancer-causing chemicals are thought to accumulate in animal and human tissues.
To prevent this, a company
Swedx are making computer screens, keyboards and mice
encased in timber. See these wooden versions
here.
These wooden computers are unlikely to be an environmental panacea. Discarded machines contain other pollutants including lead in the monitor's cathode ray tubes and heavy metals such as cadmium in microchips, but it is a start. One drawback is that the cost goes up 30%.
Check out this site ::
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for more on high-tech toxic wastes.
~~H0ME!
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