Discussion questions for April 28, 2009

greening google.mht
"The Greening of Google"
IEEE Spectrum, Oct. 2007

1.  Use Google Earth to take an aerial look at the Googleplex.
Does it look like a 'green' complex to you?


2.  How much power can be gained from solar panels?  How much power 
do Americans use?  How much of this demand can be met by solar?


3.  According to the article what are benefits & costs, as well as
other factors, of solar technology to consider?


4.  What are the most important recommendations from the article?

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recycle.pdf
"Recycling e-Waste:  The Sky Is the Limit"
IT Professional, Jan/Feb 2008, pp. 50-55

5.  How big is the market for recycled hardware parts?  How are
the materials extracted and re-used?


6.  What laws, agreements, initiatives exist to help reduce the 
ecological damage of decomposing computer parts?  To what extent 
are these efforts successful?


7.  Let's consider the ethics involved with recycling:
   a.  Who should be responsible for recycling discarded technology:
       the retailer, manufacturer, or somebody else?  

   b.  Are the various proposals mentioned in the article fair?  

   c.  What do you think of 3 principles at bottom of p.51?

   d.  Does it make sense to have people pay to have their machines
       recycled?

8.  In what ways do you find the recycled e-waste industry unusual?