-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> <FONT COLOR="#000099">eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! </FONT><A HREF="http://click.egroups.com/1/9068/6/_/1406/_/970044939/"><B>Click Here!</B></A> ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> [EMAIL PROTECTED] Michael Meuser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sony Targets Environmental NGOS in spying, intimidation camapgin The leaked Sony document in question may be downloaded from: http://www.iwpextra.com/ee00708.pdf ENVIRONMENT: Electronics Giant Tracks Environmental Organisations By Danielle Knight >WASHINGTON, Sep 15 (IPS) - One of the world's largest >electronics manufacturer is tracking the detailed activities of >environmental organisations seeking to regulate high-tech >industries. > >A leaked document written by Sony Corporation, obtained by IPS, >outlines a presentation made in July to fellow electronics >companies at a conference in Brussels illustrating the various >activities of environmental groups. It names specific US activists >who seek to regulate waste caused by the electronics industry. > >The presentation describes the various campaigns of Greenpeace, >Friends of the Earth, the European Environment Bureau, the Silicon >Valley Toxics Coalition, and the Northern Alliance for >Sustainability. It then suggests that a counter-strategy by the >industry would be discussed at the meeting. > >Ted Smith, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, >an advocacy group based in California's high-tech hub, told IPS he >was startled to discover that the Japanese-based company was >discussing his group's activities. > >''It seems that industry has spent an inordinate amount of time >fighting the tide instead of doing what they need to do to clean up >the industry,'' he says. > >Mark Small, vice president of environment and health and safety >issues with Sony in the United States, acknowledged that Sony >was tracking environmental groups. > >''We are obviously concerned about our image and we want to >make sure that if Greenpeace is pushing something we want to be >on top of it,'' says Small, who is based in San Diego, California. > >He admits that the presentation was not put together in the ''most >tasteful'' way but explains that it was not meant for public release. > >Electronics industries, including 54-year-old Sony, have been >fighting efforts by environmentalists and the European Union which >would legally force manufacturers to be responsible for their >products and the environmental or health damage they could >cause. > >In Europe these efforts have culminated in what is known as the >European Commission Directive on Waste from Electrical and >Electronic Equipment (or WEEE). The premise of the regulation is >that the producer of all electronic products and electrical equipment >must be financially responsible for managing their products >throughout their lifecycle, including when the product is no longer >useful and thrown away. > >''The public should not have to pay extra taxes for waste >management costs of hazardous materials that producers choose >to use in electrical and electronic equipment,'' says Smith. > >The directive also includes a phase-out by 2008 on mercury, lead, >cadmium and other toxic chemicals commonly used in electronics. > >Environmentalists in Europe began pushing the legislation as it >became an increasing burden for local governments to deal with the >amount of electronic waste generated by the booming expansion of >the computer industry. > >In general, computer equipment is a complicated assembly of more >than 1,000 materials, many of which are highly toxic, including >toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active materials, acids, >plastics and plastic additives. > >Apart from the well-known substances like mercury and lead, the >health impacts of many of these chemicals and the mixtures and >material combinations in the products often are not known, warn >environmental groups. > >The production of semiconductors, printed circuit boards, disk >drives and monitors involve particularly hazardous chemicals, and >workers involved in chip manufacturing are now beginning to come >forward and reporting cancer clusters, according to the Silicon >Valley Toxics Coalition. > >The organisation notes that by 2004, there will be an estimated 315 >million obsolete computers in the United States. Since fewer than >10 percent of the high-tech machines are now recycled, most of >them will be destined for landfills or incinerators, says Smith. > >Small with Sony opposes regulations on the high-tech industry and >argues companies are already undertaking voluntary efforts to >better design products so that they cann be more easily recycled. > >He says Sony is working with the state of Minnesota and some >cities to develop recycling and ''take-back'' programmes for used >electronic equipment, including stereos and television sets. > >While a recent three pilot-study in Minnesota proved that collecting >and recycling old televisions and computers was not currently cost >effective, Small says Sony is willing to meet these costs as it >works on manufacturing products to be more easily recyclable. > >Part of the problem, he says, is not the new products, but older >stereo equipment or televisions which contain parts that were never >labelled in anticipation of being recycled. > >''If we get this working in the United States we will show Europe >and Japan that this is a working model that makes economic >sense and will be more effective than regulation,'' says Small. > >But activists campaigning for tighter controls on the toxics used in >the industry say such voluntary efforts do not address the phase- >out of toxic chemicals or if companies will accept responsibility for >their products. > >''The rest seems to be window dressing,'' says Smith, with Silicon >Valley Toxics Coalition. > >The electronics industry and the US Trade Representative have >been actively campaigning against Europe's effort to adopt health >and environmental safety laws regulating the industry. > >Since the European legislation surfaced several years ago, the >American Electronic Association (AEA) - with 3,000 member >companies, including IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, and Intel - and the >US Trade Representative launched a major offensive against the >WEEE directive. They charge that the legislation violates the >World Trade Organisation (WTO) because it imposes requirements >on foreign manufacturers. > >Environmentalists and three US lawmakers have written to Vice >President Al Gore, urging the presidential hopeful to intervene and >put an immediate stop to the USTR's lobbying. > >''We must level environmental standards up, not down,'' says a >letter signed by more than 100 pressure groups. ''Trade >Associations must not be allowed to dictate environmental health >policy.'' > >_______ > >An article that was published in Inside EPA will follow shortly. >Leslie Byster >Communications Director >Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition >International Campaign for Responsible Technology >760 N. First Street >San Jose, CA 95112 >Phone: 408-287-6707 >Fax: 408-287-6771 >http://www.svtc.org >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >+++++++++++++++++++++ >Michael R. Meuser, >Environmental Sociologist >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.mapcruzin.com/ >Environmental Communication, GIS, >Pollution Maps, WebMaps, Training, Research >Environmental Justice, Right-to-Know Advocacy >"Making Data Make Sense" > >Join RTK-Watch. Send a blank message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >--__--__--
