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

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

EPA Organizational Structure

Office of Research and Development Labs and Centers National Center for Environmental Assessment National Exposure Research Laboratory Human health and ecological risk assessment Human and ecosystem exposure to pollutants 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

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

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)

Technology for a Sustainable Environment Sample ICT Sector Research Projects 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

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) ENERGY STAR History In 1992 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products. Through 1995, EPA expanded the label to additional office equipment products and residential heating and cooling equipment. In 1996, EPA partnered with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for particular product categories. The ENERGY STAR label is now on major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Through its partnerships with more than 7,000 private and public sector organizations, the ENERGY STAR program delivers the technical information and tools that organizations and consumers need to choose energy-efficient solutions and best management practices. Over the past decade, ENERGY STAR has been a driving force behind the more widespread use of such technological innovations as LED traffic lights, efficient fluorescent lighting, power management systems for office equipment, and low standby energy use. Envirofacts

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

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

LCA impact results

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

…and the production continues to grow

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

Is this what we want? www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf WEEE, takeback of auto in Europe, Clair’s work with electronics www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf

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.

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.

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

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

Nanotechnology is one aspect of the revolution …and it offers opportunities for pollution prevention Ultra-Green and Waste-Minimizing by 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

The scale of things 1 nm = 10-9 m The scale of various environmentally important molecules are indicated in this figure. The images shown from the top right and working clockwise are respectively, microbial cells (~1 um), a grain of pollen (~20 um), platinum cube-shaped nanoparticles (10 nm), and Xenon atoms on a crystalline Nickel (~1 nm). The grain of pollen is about 20,000 times larger than the image of atoms spelling out IBM.

This is how nature does it 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 From a single cell, the human body contains about 7.5 trillion cells Fast enzymes, e.g., carbonic anhydrase or ketosteroid isomerase can process about a million molecules/sec 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

Different Worlds/Different Challenges EPA Second Industrial Revolution 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

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

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

High Speed and Discontinuities 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. 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 Connect any number “n”of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get “n” squared potential value. Metcalfe’s Law Rejeski, 2003

How Fast Can Organizations Move? Organizational Clockspeeds Media Semiconductors Personal Computers Cosmetics Automobiles Machine Tools Pharmaceuticals Steel Tobacco Petrochemicals Electricity First, we find the lowly fruit fly, a species that normally spends all of two weeks on earth. Biologists study fruit flies because they pass their adaptive and acquired traits quickly from one generation to another. From an evolutionary standpoint, fruit flies are fast learners. Organizations can also “learn to learn” at higher speeds, and do this without sacrificing effectiveness or efficiency. These organizations have high clockspeeds and may be better suited to a world of relentless and rapid change. You do not have to be a fruit fly to win in this scenario, but you must be able to learn about rapid and adaptive change from the fruit fly organizations. You need to understand your clockspeed in relationship to the clockspeed of your competitors and collaborators and how that will affect your organization’s behavior and strategies. Government Agencies 10 20 30 40 50 Years See: Fine, Charles: Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage

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 Vulcan Scenario Fast Learning/Shaping Environment is co-optimized as a part of technology development and deployment, or is the primary goal Rejeski, 2003

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.