(re) blog: dialogue with Redemtech

Data Breaches Can Become Monsters – And Not Just Around Halloween

Inspired by movies like I was a Teenage Werewolf and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and emboldened by the new Super 8 movie camera I had gotten for my birthday, my friends and I set out to make a horror movie. We were 15 at the time and there was an old abandoned house in the neighborhood that just begged to be used as a location for filming our six-minute epic, The Monster from Shawnee Meadows Cul-de-sac.

Let’s Clean Up Our Own Act Before Pointing Fingers at China

A few weeks ago I was channel-surfing between a few TV programs and stopped long enough to observe people dismantling e-waste in a public market. I was only able to watch a few seconds before it was over, but I wondered why anyone would add this to their program, considering the recent findings that China has one of the worst e-waste recycling systems in the world. The toxin exposure rates for this industry are extremely high among both Chinese children and adults.

Bringing Together Both Kinds of Green

I mentioned last time that I’d be attending the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers’ conference in Las Vegas. There's perhaps no better place to learn about excess, wasteful behaviors and financial impacts (both good and bad) than Vegas, where I left behind my small contribution to the local economy.

My Personal Recession

The outcome of receding usually is bad.  Glaciers, shorelines, rainforests, gums – all bad.  On the other hand, some recessions can be a blessing, like when floodwaters recede. 

Rivers that become too swollen from their copious consumption, brim over their banks and cause vast destruction.  And then they recede leaving behind less than was there before. 

I’ve never suffered a flood thankfully, but I am imagining that the initial feeling of catastrophic loss is eventually replaced by a sense of the possibilities of a new start, realizing that our possessions are not as important as the people we love, safe and sound and near. 

Maybe we have a chance to reevaluate our flooded lives in this recession and reconsider our needs.  Maybe we should stop gorging long enough to see the lovely “slow-down” that might not just be economic. 

The Wild West of E-Waste

Lately, I’ve found myself wondering why individuals, nonprofits and companies are so easily fooled by e-waste exporters. For the most part, individuals want to do the right thing, and they’ve likely talked to other recycling companies that charge for their e-waste management services. So when “free” services are offered, one likely thinks to himself: it’s “alright, I’m doing good for the company or helping them meet their objectives by lowering costs.” Unfortunately, lately some of these actions have not gone unnoticed and have led to good people damaging the reputation of their organization.

Response to Redemtech Blog No Less Than ‘Amazing’

Last week’s Redemtech blog criticizing the producers of popular reality TV series Amazing Race for a recent episode’s depiction of environmentally unsafe e-waste disposition (watch “Fun With Recycling”) which aroused a lot of commentary from many people, ranging from experts in the industry to fans of the show, thanks to the speed of social media.

Why Eternal Vigilance About E-Waste Distortions is Crucial

Not long ago, I sat in a room listening to what I thought would be an informative, objective meeting comparing California’s SB-20 Monitor recycling system with New York’s e-waste recycling regulation. It turns out that it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Let me explain.

Amazing Race Producers Should Be Ashamed of E-Waste ‘Challenge’

As I watched one of my favorite reality TV series – Amazing Race – on Sunday evening, I felt my jaw drop and my blood pressure rise as teams of contestants participated in a competition that blatantly exhibited all of the dangers of e-waste. In the segment, "Fun With Recycling," the “challenge” was for one member of each team to take hammers, cutters and screwdrivers to disassemble a designated number of end-of-lifecycle electronics – tearing into the devices with bare hands and exposing themselves to the toxins that permeate all e-waste. It was pretty darn amazing, all right. But not nearly as amazing as it was pathetic.

Heading to Las Vegas to Get a Read on the Industry’s Pulse

This week I’ll be at the annual conference of the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers, or IAITAM, for short. It’s appropriate that the conference is held in Las Vegas, because when it comes to the subject of ITAM, it’s all about reducing risk.