Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), is a San Jose, California based research and advocacy group that promotes safe environmental practices in the high tech industry. The organization was founded in 1982 after leaks at manufacturing sites at IBM and Fairchild Electronics were suspected of causing widespread birth defects and health issues in the Silicon Valley [ [http://www.etoxics.org/messages/SVTC_Nanotech_Report(April-2008).pdf Regulating Emerging Technologies in Silicon Valley and Beyond] , retrieved on April 9th, 2008] .

The group is composed of high tech workers, community members, law enforcement, emergency workers and environmentalists. They aim to educate the masses on best practices for computer recycling and promote corporate social responsibility on subjects ranging from nanotechnology, solar, and consumer e-waste. In April 2008, they released a report, "Regulating Emerging Technologies in Silicon Valley and Beyond," which articulates the state of the nanotechnology industry and calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better regulate emerging technologies.

Ted Smith, author of "Challenging the Chip", founded the organization, but Sheila Davis now spearheads their efforts.

Projects and Investigations

2008: Nano Technology, Digital TV Switchover, and India E-waste.

"Nano Technology": On April 2nd, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) released a report exposing the potentially catastrophic impact on the health and environment of the community due to the nanotechnology industry that is running unchecked.

"Digital TV Switchover": February 2009 is the deadline for the television industry to switch from broadcasting in analog format to digital. It is anticipated that this change will create an enormous wave of e-waste as up to 80 million televisions become obsolete, and thus become electronic waste.

"India E-waste": To help address the global problem of electronic waste SVTC is teaming up with Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group on a research project to document the impact of e-waste on workers and communities in and around Delhi, India.

Reports

In 2004, SVTC released a report entitled "Poison PCs and Toxic TVs" that details the growing piles of e-waste in the U.S., the toxics contained in the computers and monitors and hazards of improper disposal.

In 2006, SVTC released a report exposing the abuse of prison labor in the e-waste recycling industry. For the first time, prison inmates and staff blow the whistle on deplorable health and safety conditions within UNICOR, a controversial government corporation operated under the Dept. of Justice that uses captive prison labor in a range of industries, including the dismantling of toxic e-waste.

In April 2008, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition released a report regarding the nanotechnology boom and how it mirrors the Silicon Valley semiconductor boom of the early 1980s. According to the report, further studies, legal structure, and safety should be required of nanotechnology companies.²

ee also

*Green computing
*Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute

References

External links

* [http://www.etoxics.org The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition]
* [http://www.etoxics.org/site/DocServer/ppc-ttv1.pdf?docID=124 The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: Poison PCs and Toxic TVs Report]
* [http://www.etoxics.org/site/DocServer/ToxicSweatshops.pdf?docID=321 The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: Toxic Sweatshop Report]
* [http://www.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_nanotech The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: Nanotechnology Report]
* [http://www.svtc.org/india The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: India 2008]