Nature’s Past – Episode 7: E-Waste and Obsolescence

The problem of e-waste grows with each new mobile phone, music player, laptop computer or other type of consumer electronic device. Because many of these products are made with toxic substances, disposal is a major challenge. The environmental crisis of e-waste can be attributed to a strategy of industrial manufacturing developed over the course of the twentieth-century known as obsolescence.

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Nature’s Past Episode 07 – click to play | right click, ‘save as’ to download

The problem of e-waste grows with each new mobile phone, music player, laptop computer or other type of consumer electronic device. Because many of these products are made with toxic substances, disposal is a major challenge. The environmental crisis of e-waste can be attributed to a strategy of industrial manufacturing developed over the course of the twentieth-century known as obsolescence. On this episode of the podcast, we hear from Giles Slade, author of the award-winning book Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America, on this historical trend in manufacturing.

Also, Bill Turkel from the University of Western Ontario tells us about a workshop he held called “Hacking as a Way of Knowing”.

Please be sure to take a moment and review this podcast on our iTunes page.

Works Cited:

Music Credits:

Other Contributor(s): 
  • Giles Slade
  • Bill Turkel
Citation:

Kheraj, Sean. “Episode 7: E-Waste and Obsolescence.” Nature’s Past. 15 June 2009.

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Sean Kheraj

Associate Professor at York University, Department of History
Sean Kheraj is an associate professor in the Department of History at York University. He researches and teaches in the areas of environmental and Canadian history. In addition to being a co-editor of niche-canada.org, he is also the host and producer of Nature's Past, NiCHE's audio podcast series and he blogs at http://seankheraj.com.

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