Trash // Current

Fox News Trashes Modern Warfare

Today we've Land of Talk with "It"s Okay," the new Guinness world ad called "Bring it... more

Current_Virals
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5 days ago
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The Digital TV Switch Causes 70% Rise in E-Waste

We worried about the rise in dumped TVs when the switch to digital in the US occurred back in June. The UK is also switching to digital and figures show a frightening rise in dumped TVs, rising by 70% in the past year, with over half of them being upgradable. But they were dumped instead. As more areas switch to digital over the next two years, including London, just how much more of an impact can we expect, and can citizens be convinced that they don't need to dump their TVs at all?

The Guardian reports that the digital switch happened yesterday in the north-west of England. "This year, the council has recycled 50,000 analogue TVs thrown away by households, of which 30,000 could have been upgraded to receive digital TV signals with a simple £20 set-top box."

As in the US, most TVs don't need to be replaced - only a new box is needed. Yet many consumers are upgrading to new TVs anyway. Simon Birch, who is investigating the environmental impact of the digital switchover for Ethical Consumer magazine, blames Digital UK for the crush of discarded TVs, saying it isn't doing a good enough job telling consumers that they don't have to toss their televisions.

The eco-impact of televisions is under debate, though, as the Energy Saving Trust notes that a TV with a built-in digital tuner requires only one power supply and can save £7 and 20kg of carbon each year compared with an equivalent analogue TV combined with a set-top box.

However not factored in is the environmental cost of recycling a television, or worse, seeing it head to landfill, or worst, seeing it head to e-waste dumps in developing nations. In the US, only about 18% of the 23.9 million toxic CRT TVs thrown out in 2008 were recycled. And Sarah Westervelt, a Basel Action Network official, said about 80% will actually be shipped abroad to be "recycled" in China and Africa - and that is a violation of provisions of the Basel treaty that ban the shipment of toxic waste from the rich countries to poor ones. The same problems are to be expected in the UK, where e-waste in landfills is already a significant problem.

Over the long run, it is likely better to have an extra set-top box and not a new TV. It's just a matter of actually telling people this, and encouraging them to keep what isn't broken.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/the-digital-tv-switch-causes-70-rise-in-electronic-trash.php?dtc=th_rssWe worried about the rise in dumped TVs when the switch to digital in the US occurred... more

extemporaneous
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5 days ago
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Nuts 2010 Calendar (NSFW)

Kitty Lea, Chanelle, Rhian Sugden, Emma, India, Eva, Lucy Pinder, Rosie Jones, Sophie... more

cocko
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24 days ago
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The Clean Initiative

This is a informational short video on Howard University's recycling kick

LdotAdot
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28 days ago
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Artist Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan expresses human social consequences from trash disposal, cigarettes and... more

mbk220
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29 days ago
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Street Trash: The emphasis is on 'trash'.

hahahahaha... read this to save yourself from a crappy movie!!!!

Alisha_Keslar
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1 month ago
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Reggie Ashworth releases AppDelete 2.2.3 - Safely Delete Any Application

Independent software developer Reggie Ashworth is pleased to announce AppDelete 2.2.3,... more

Ray_Barber
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1 month ago
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Waste, commercials and reality

Premier Berlusconi gaffe, freedom of press and the new houses in L'Aquila: so many... more

bibabiba
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Women's Paddle-Out & Beach Clean-up, SF

What: 2nd Annual Women's Paddle-Out & Beach Clean-Up Where: North Ocean Beach,... more

amaness
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‘Trash Humpers’: In Pursuit of Ugliness

"The new indie film Trash Humpers observes the lives of three fictional cretin-like... more

sk8bs55
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1 month ago
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Video: 20,000 Detergent Bottles Under the Sea

—Photo of marine debris courtesy of Tay Wiles. Front page photo courtesy of Project Kaisei.

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"benign by design."

it seems as though much of what we consume to day is here to stay. more particularly plastic products. How long could we expect to go on like this before it coming back to haunt us? not long, that is for sure.

Right now, as we speak there is a floating mass of garbage as big as the size of texas drifiting 400 miles off the coast of California. I don't know about you but this sounds like a job for....the conscientious consumer! Not only are we responsible for the goods we buy and the services we use them for but, also the recycling and disposal of used products.

it may seem like a monstrous task in the undertaking and that no one person can do it on their own, however, don't be deceived. it is possible and it is going to have to start with you. what you do with your time and money doesn't only affect you, it affects that of those around you as well. why you buy each product and what you use it for is your business except when the manner in which you dispose of it encroaches on your neighbors or the surrounding natural wild life.

despite all this, rest assured there have been motions towards movements against this and there are steps being made to take action and it can happen from your garage, out on your front lawn, in the alley, down on the corner, out in the street and then eventually the world. it's "micro-enviro-nomics." make it happen people. grass roots rock! see: http://current.com/items/90965135_the-dc-concierge-help-turn-dc-s-parking-spots-into-parks.htm ; http://current.com/items/90964353_parking-spaces-become-parks-in-hundreds-of-cities.htm // at the very least it is feigning an attempt at something bigger but it is better than nothing. let's join the cause so that all our efforts will not be in vain.

life is art: art is life; make it beautiful: make it happen.

~sk8bs55

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—Photo of marine debris courtesy of Tay Wiles. Front page photo courtesy of Project... more