Saturday, March 8, 2014
Pollution Caused by Chip Fabrication
It is a sobering fact that the chip fabrication industry which is so vital to our modern society is also the cause of a lot of pollution. This unglamorous topic doesn't get much media attention. No one wants to be reminded that the hi-tech world of computers isn't possible without the use of a lot of caustic chemicals.
To summarize, some of the items used in the various processes of chip fabrication include: Acetone, Arsenic, Arsine, Benzene, Cadium, Hydrochloric acid, Lead, Methyl chloroform, Toluene and Trichloroethylene. More details on these items can be found here: Environmental Impact.
The cost of cleaning up contaminated soil was one of the reasons why Commodore Semiconductor Group went out of business. More information on this can be found at the EPA site but suffice to say that groundwater in Norristown Pennsylvania was contaminated with high levels of trichloroethylene. This also led to the eventual demise of Commodore Computers.
This leads me to propose the idea of using older computers as long as possible instead of continually buying new computers. For the last 10 years I have done this, although initially it was more of a cost saving measure. My computer philosophy has shifted towards the idea of 'computer minimalism'. I've already remarked on the longevity of certain computer models, including ones using the Pentium 3 coppermine CPU.
To apply the idea of minimalism to computers we must select an operating system that is efficient and adjustable. My short-list of possible operating systems for minimal computing include: OpenBSD, Vector Linux Classic, and Fedora Core 1. One might be a bit surprised to see FC1 on that list due to its (relative) old age, but I must admit to a certain amount of inclusionism in my philosophy on computers. One could conceive of examples of far greater levels of minimalism but I wanted to be able to at least do mundane things like running a web browser and web server.
Thus we could fix or at least reduce the problem of the pollution caused by chip fabrication by buying or fixing up old computers that have already been manufactured. Naturally we would select old computers that are the most easily repairable and have a ready supply of replacement parts available. One example of a computer that fits this desciption is the IBM Personal Computer 300GL (slot 1, p3 running at 400 mhz).
To summarize, some of the items used in the various processes of chip fabrication include: Acetone, Arsenic, Arsine, Benzene, Cadium, Hydrochloric acid, Lead, Methyl chloroform, Toluene and Trichloroethylene. More details on these items can be found here: Environmental Impact.
The cost of cleaning up contaminated soil was one of the reasons why Commodore Semiconductor Group went out of business. More information on this can be found at the EPA site but suffice to say that groundwater in Norristown Pennsylvania was contaminated with high levels of trichloroethylene. This also led to the eventual demise of Commodore Computers.
This leads me to propose the idea of using older computers as long as possible instead of continually buying new computers. For the last 10 years I have done this, although initially it was more of a cost saving measure. My computer philosophy has shifted towards the idea of 'computer minimalism'. I've already remarked on the longevity of certain computer models, including ones using the Pentium 3 coppermine CPU.
To apply the idea of minimalism to computers we must select an operating system that is efficient and adjustable. My short-list of possible operating systems for minimal computing include: OpenBSD, Vector Linux Classic, and Fedora Core 1. One might be a bit surprised to see FC1 on that list due to its (relative) old age, but I must admit to a certain amount of inclusionism in my philosophy on computers. One could conceive of examples of far greater levels of minimalism but I wanted to be able to at least do mundane things like running a web browser and web server.
Thus we could fix or at least reduce the problem of the pollution caused by chip fabrication by buying or fixing up old computers that have already been manufactured. Naturally we would select old computers that are the most easily repairable and have a ready supply of replacement parts available. One example of a computer that fits this desciption is the IBM Personal Computer 300GL (slot 1, p3 running at 400 mhz).
# posted by cubexyz @ 9:35 AM 
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