#pirge

[whsprings]

too stubborn to go back to treatment too stupid to recover guess i will simply keep doing this until I die

[richdadpoor]

Apple Has Finally Found a Right to Repair Bill That It Likes

This week, Apple announced its support for a California bill to allow consumers to repair or modify their devices independently. The bill, called SB 244 or the Right to Repair Act, was passed by the state senate in May with a 38-0 vote, requiring manufacturers to provide owners and repair shops with the necessary tools and manuals to fix devices. Buy Now or Wait? How to Avoid Tech Buyer’s…

[sea-lanterns]

The fact you specified Columbinas tiny cock in the pirge gic made me giggle🤭

It was too cute not to specify 🥺

Although Columbina’s cock is tiny, she can definitely use it. Arlecchino is out here with a 7 inch strap on and then Columbina is like “watch, I can make her gag on my 3 inch one” and you do.

She probably bullies Arle relentlessly because she has to compensate with a giant strap. 😭😭

[mariacallous]

A new report by environmental groups lays out a case for banning deep sea mining—and explains why the real solution to humanity’s energy crisis might just be sitting in the trash.

Deep sea mining is the pursuit of rare, valuable minerals that lie undisturbed upon the ocean floor—metals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements. These so-called critical minerals are instrumental in the manufacture of everything from electric vehicle batteries and MRI machines to laptops and disposable vape cartridges—including, crucially, much of what’s needed to transition away from fossil fuels. Political leaders and the companies eager to dredge up critical minerals from the seafloor tend to focus on the feel-good, climate-friendly uses of the minerals, like EV batteries and solar panels. They’ll proclaim that the metals on the deep seafloor are an abundant resource that could help usher in a new golden age of renewable energy technology.

But deep sea mining has also been roundly criticized by environmentalists and scientists, who caution that the practice (which has not yet kicked off in earnest) could create a uniquely terrible environmental travesty and annihilate one of the most remote and least understood ecosystems on the planet.

There has been a wave of backlash from environmentalists, scientists, and even comedians like John Oliver, who devoted a recent segment of Last Week Tonight to lambasting deep sea mining. Some companies that use these materials in their products—Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, and Rivian among them—have come out against deep sea mining and pledged not to use any metals that come from those abyssal operations. (Some prominent companies have done the exact opposite; last week, Tesla shareholders voted against a moratorium on using minerals sourced from deep sea mining.)

Even if you can wave away that ecological threat, mining the sea might simply be wholly unnecessary if the goal is to bring about a new era of global renewable energy. A new report, aptly titled “We Don’t Need Deep-Sea Mining,” aims to lay out why.

The report is a collaboration between the advocacy group US PIRG, Environment America Policy Center, and the nonprofit think tank Frontier Group. Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Campaign for the Right to Repair at PIRG and one of the authors of the new report, says the solution to sourcing these materials should be blindingly obvious. There are critical minerals all around us that don’t require diving deep into the sea. You’re probably holding some right now—they’re in nearly all our devices, including the billions of pounds of them sitting in the dump.

The secret to saving the deep sea, Proctor says, is to prioritize systems that focus on the materials we already have—establishing right to repair laws, improving recycling capabilities, and rethinking how we use tech after the end of its useful life cycle. These are all systems we have in place now that don’t require tearing up new lands thousands of feet below the ocean.

“We don't need to mine the deep sea,” Proctor reiterates. “It's about the dumbest way to get these materials. There's way better ways to address the needs for those metals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and the rest.”

Into the Abyss

Schemes for delving into the deep ocean have been on the boards for years. While the practice is not currently underway, mining companies are getting ready to dive in as soon as they can.

In January 2024, the Norwegian Parliament opened up its waters to companies looking to mine resources. The Metals Company is a Canadian mining operation that has been at the forefront of attempts to mine in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)—an area of seabed that spans 3,100 miles between Mexico and Hawaii.

The proposed mining in the CCZ has gotten the most attention lately because the Metals Company secured rights to access key areas of the CCZ for mining in 2022, and its efforts are ramping up. The process involves gathering critical minerals from small rock-like formations called polymetallic nodules. Billions of these nodules rest along the seabed, seemingly sitting there ripe for the taking (if you can get down to them). The plan—one put forth by several mining companies, anyway—is to scrape the ocean floor with deep sea trawling systems and bring these nodules to the surface, where they can be broken down to extract the shiny special metals inside. Environmentalists say this poses a host of ecological problems for everything that lives in the vicinity.

Gerard Barron, the CEO of the Metals Company, contends that his efforts are misunderstood by activists and the media (especially, say, John Oliver).

“We're committed to circularity,” Barron says. “We have to drive towards circularity. We have to stop extracting from our planet. But the question is, how can you recycle what you don’t have?”

Both Barron and the authors of the activist report acknowledge that there aren’t perfect means of resource extraction anywhere—and there’s always going to be some environmental toll. Barron argues that it is better for this toll to play out in one of the most remote parts of the ocean.

“No matter what, you will be disrupting an ecosystem,” says Kelsey Lamp, ocean campaign director with the Environment America Research and Policy Center and an author of the report. “This is an ecosystem that evolved over millions of years without light, without human noise, and with incredibly clear water. If you disrupt it, the likelihood of it coming back is pretty low.”

For many of the life-forms down in the great deep, the nodules are the ecosystem. Removing the nodules from the seabed would remove all the life attached to them.

“This is a very disruptive process with ecosystems that may never recover,” says Tony Dutzik, associate director and senior policy analyst at the nonprofit think tank Frontier Group and another author of the report. “This is a great wilderness that is linked to the health of the ocean at large and that has wonders that we’re barely even beginning to recognize what they are.”

Barron counters that the life in the abyssal zone is less abundant than in an ecosystem like rainforests in Indonesia, where a great deal of nickel mines operate—although scientists discovered 5,000 new species in the CCZ in 2023 alone. He considers that the lesser of two evils.

“At the end of the day, it's not that easy,” You can't just say no to something. If you say no to this, you're saying yes to something else.”

The Circular Economy

Barron and others make the case that this ecosystem disruption is the only way to access the minerals needed to fuel the clean-tech revolution, and is therefore worth the cost in the long run. But Proctor and the others behind the report aren't convinced. They say that without fully investing in a circular economy that thinks more carefully about the resources we use, we will continue to burn through the minerals needed for renewable tech the same way we've burned through fossil fuels.

“I just had this initial reaction when I heard about deep sea mining,” Proctor says. “Like, ‘Oh, really? You want to strip mine the ocean floor to build electronic devices that manufacturers say we should all throw away?’”

While mining companies may wax poetic about using critical minerals for building clean tech, there's no guarantee that's where the minerals will actually wind up. They are also commonly used in much more consumer-facing devices, like phones, laptops, headphones, and those aforementioned disposable vape cartridges. Many of these devices are not designed to be long lasting, or repairable. In many cases, big companies like Apple and Microsoft have actively lobbied to make repairing their devices more difficult, all but guaranteeing more of them will end up in the landfill.

“I spend every day throwing my hands up in frustration by just how much disposable, unfixable, ridiculous electronics are being shoveled on people with active measures to prevent them from being able to reuse them,” Proctor says. “If these are really critical materials, why are they ending up in stuff that we're told is instantly trash?”

The report aims to position critical minerals in products and e-waste as an “abundant domestic resource.” The way to tap into that is to recommit to the old mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle—with a couple of additions. The report adds the concept of repairing and reimagining products to the list, calling them the five Rs. It calls for making active efforts to extend product lifetimes and invest in “second life” opportunities for tech like solar panels and battery recycling that have reached the end of their useful lifespan. (EV batteries used to be difficult to recycle, but more cutting-edge battery materials can often work just as well as new ones, if you recycle them right.)

Treasures in the Trash

The problem is thinking of these deep sea rocks in the same framework of fossil fuels. What may seem like an abundant resource now is going to feel much more finite later.

“There is a little bit of the irony, right, that we think it's easier to go out and mine and potentially destroy one of the most mysterious remote wildernesses left on this planet just to get more of the metals we're throwing in the trash every day,” Lamp says.

And in the trash is where the resources remain. Electronics manufacturing is growing five times faster than e-waste recycling, so without investment to disassemble those products for their critical bits, all the metals will go to waste. Like deep sea mining, the infrastructure needed to make this a worthwhile path forward will be tremendous, but committing to it means sourcing critical minerals from places nearby, and reducing some waste in the process.

Barron says he isn't convinced these efforts will be enough. “We need to do all of that,” Barron says, “You know, it's not one or the other. We have to do all of that, but what we have to do is slow down destroying those tropical rainforests.” He adds, “If you take a vote against ocean metals, it is a vote for something else. And that something else is what we’ve got right now.”

Proctor argues that commonsense measures, implemented broadly and forcefully across society to further the goal of creating a circular economy, including energy transition minerals, will ultimately reduce the need for all forms of extraction, including land and deep-sea mining.

“We built this system that knows how to do one thing, which is take stuff out of the earth, put it into products and sell them, and then plug our ears and forget that they exist,” Proctor says. “That’s not the reality we live in. The sooner that we can disentangle that kind of paradigm from the way we think about consumption and industrial policy the better, because we're going to kill everybody with that kind of thinking.”

Just like mining the deep sea, investing in a circular economy is not going to be an easy task. There is an allure of deep sea mining when it is presented as a one-stop shop for all the materials needed for the great energy transition. But as the authors of the report contend, the idea of exploiting a vast deposit of resources is the same relationship society has had with fossil fuels—they’re seemingly abundant resources ripe for the picking, but also they are ultimately finite.

“If we treat these things as disposable, as we have, we’re going to need to continually refill that bucket,” Dutzik says. “If we can build an economy in which we’re getting the most out of every bit of what we mine, reusing things when we can, and then recycling the material at the end of their lives, we can get off of that infinite extraction treadmill that we’ve been on for a really long time.”

[cc-cobalt-1043]

Barbecue:

One summer evening on Pabu The bad batch were heading to Shep's house, he was hosting a barbecue and had invited everyone.

The kids were practically pulling the adults along in their excitement.

"Cmon dad, we've been walking forever." Joey whined giving Cobalt an almighty tug forward.

"We've been walking for two minutes bud." Cobalt said as he was almost pulled off his feet.

"Yeah, forever, we're gonna be late at this rate." Joey said.

"Relax Joey, we won't." Cobalt said.

Just minutes later they arrived at Shep's where the man greeted them with one of his signature smiles.

"Hello friends, glad you could make it." He said.

Shep looked to the kids.

"Lyana is in the backyard if you want to see here." He added.

Shep quickly stood aside as the kids and Batcher charged through the door.

Laughing heartily the adults followed through the door and went into the garden where the kids and Lyana were already engrossed in conversation.

Soon Wrecker and Shep had gotten the barbecue started and a smoky smell had now enveloped the garden.

Daniel and James were chasing batcher around the garden, Boba, Zander and Rowan were talking with Mox, Stak and Deke about different ships they had seen and flown and Omega, Kordi, Cynthia and Lyana were sitting together having a whispered the silence interrupted by their frequent giggles.

Other guests soon arrived including Rex and several clones from the rebellion, Riyo Chuchi, Emerie, Phee and to everyone's surprise Rampart along with Jax, Sami and Eva.

"Hello Edmon, glad to see you." Shep said.

"It's a pleasure Shep." Rampart nodded before going and sitting next to Emerie while Jax, Sami and Eva went to the other kids.

Soon Shep, Wrecker and Gregor announced that dinner was ready and the kids eagerly ran over, even batcher and Lucky got a plate of food each. After the kids had been served the adults got their share of food and everyone dug in.

"Good as ever Gregor, you continue to impress." Rex said after a mouthful of fried porg.

"Oh Rex you honey dripper Gregor giggled pretending to blush.

Rampart took a bite of a pirg wing and he suddenly started gasping for breath.

"...To hot.." He gasped out.

Crosshair handed him a bottle from the cooler which Rampart took a large drink from.

"Can't handle your spices Edmon." Crosshair teased.

"Usually I can, but that was spicy even by my standards." Rampart said.

"Sorry about that, that must have been one of my fireball wings." Fireball piped up.

"What's the difference?" Rampart asked.

"They're much spicier than normal porg wings, that's how I got my name, cause I love spicy food." Fireball said.

"I see." Rampart nodded taking another drink of water.

Daniel was typing away on his tablet while chewing away at a pork chop with a healthy amount of apple suacce on it.

Nemec sat down next to him.

"Whatcha working on Danny?" He asked.

Daniel swallowed his food and wiped some sauce off his chin before awnsering.

"My own starfighter, I'm hoping to build it one day, once I'm old enough to do so anyways." Daniel said.

"Can I see?" Nemec asked curiously.

Dan nodded and passed Nemec the tablet.

Nemec whistled impressed.

"That's a nice looking fighter, I'd hate to be on the wrong end of that." Nemec said.

Daniel nodded his thanks blushing slightly with pride.

Sunset was approaching and by now the younger kids were getting tuckered out.

Sami, James, Lyana and Omega were passed out against Batcher who was curled up on the grass.

Eva had crawled onto Rampart's lap half an hour ago and was out cold, head resting against her adoptive father's chest.

Rampart was chatting with Martha along with Daniel who was fast asleep on his mother's lap similar to Eva.

Cynthia and Katie were chatting, about something funny, the two giggling on occasion.

Boba, Jax, Zander and the triplets were huddled together talking in low voices while nearby Kordi read a book with Rowan lying across her lap fast asleep.

Meanwhile Tech and Phee reatreted too the roof where the two watched the setting sun.

"It really is beautiful isn't it?" Phee asked.

"It most certainly is." Tech nodded in agreement.

The two shared a kiss together as the sun set and the others had fun.

[detective-watson]

Take action with me to ban neonicotinoids (neonics). Neonics are a pesticide that is highly toxic to insect and bird populations. Numbers of bees and birds have declined by the millions because they eat plants that have been treated by this chemical. Birds who eat the seeds of these plants or insects who have consumed this can suffer from convulsions, extreme weight loss, and death. Join me and the PIRG in urging the EPA to ban these pesticides.

[protoslacker]

All told, we’re looking at an explosion of surveillance and communication equipment orbiting our planet in coming years. As a U.S. PIRG report (Aug 8, 2024) puts it: Researchers have tracked international proposals for over 500,000 satellites in multiple competing constellations from Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb and others. 500,000?! That’s a lot of stuff coming back at us, since each of the satellites has a shelf life of about five years.

Mark Hurst in Creative Good. Musk's space junk is a threat to us all

Pieces of space junk are falling to earth on a regular basis. On Techtonic this week I spoke with astronomer Samantha Lawler, who has been raising the alarm about this problem for some time.

[yetisidelblog]

Every year, ten trillion tiny plastic pellets are dumped or spilled into our oceans.

They're in our rivers and lakes, on our beaches, and even inside the bodies of fish and birds that mistake these small bits of plastic for food.

These pellets are just one of the many kinds of plastics that we need to phase out, for the sake of future generations.

Will you make a year-end gift to PIRG to help fuel our work to move beyond plastic?

These tiny, lentil-sized pieces of plastic are produced in massive quantities as the building blocks of countless plastic products. And once they're released into the environment -- either intentionally or by accident -- they're practically impossible to clean up.

Thanks to PIRG's combination of grassroots organizing and professional research and advocacy, more than a dozen states have enacted a ban on one or more types of single-use plastic.3

But to protect our waterways, wildlife, and human health, we need stronger laws and enforcement to crack down on the plastics manufacturers that are spilling and dumping plastic pellets directly into our rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Will you make a donation to our End of Year Drive today?

Most of us diligently recycle, take reusable bags to the grocery store, and do everything else we can to reduce our use of plastic.

But consumer action isn't enough -- and it won't prevent plastic manufacturers from spilling or dumping plastic pellets into our waterways. That's why we're working to:

Pass the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act

Phase out wasteful single-use plastics at the state level

Convince companies to use less plastic in the first place

PIRG relies on donations from grassroots supporters like you to support our work. We don't take a penny from corporations.

That's why we're asking: Will you make a year-end gift today?

@upontheshelfreviews

@greenwingspino

@one-time-i-dreamt

@tenaflyviper

@akron-squirrel

@ifihadaworldofmyown

@justice-for-jacob-marley

@voicetalentbrendan

@thebigdeepcheatsy

@what-is-my-aesthetic

@ravenlynclemens

@writerofweird

@bogleech

[dailyanarchistposts]

Footnotes, part 7

[560] Vault.com

[561] Morning Star (Wilmington, NC), January 20, 1999

[562] Sweatshop Watch (www.sweatshopwatch.org/)

[563] The AP State & Local Wire, February 4, 1999

[564] Associated Press, February 24, 1999

[565] NY Employment Law Letter, March 1999

[566] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, March 19, 1999

[567] The Dallas Morning News, March 7, 1999

[568] Business Journal Serving Charlotte, April 16, 1999

[569] Rubber & Plastics News, May 31, 1999

[570] Corporate Watch, May 16, 1999

[571] U.S. PIRG Report, Public Loss, Private Gain

[572] Multinational Monitor, June 1999

[573] USA Today, July 19, 1999

[574] The AP State & Local Wire, August 16, 1999

[575] Multinational Monitor, July/August 1999

[576] Bangor Daily News, September 19, 1999

[577] Associated Press, September 2, 1999

[578] The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), October 19, 1999

[579] Sexual Harassment Litigation Reporter, Oct 1999

[580] CNN (www.cnn.com)

[581] Associated Press, October 9, 1999

[582] The Commercial Appeal, October 3, 1999

[583] The Washington Post, November 22, 1999

[584] The Arizona Republic, November 21, 1999

[585] The Ethnic NewsWatch, November 11, 1999

[586] Associated Press, November 27, 1999

[587] The Associated Press, December 22, 1999

[588] Corporate Watch, December 30, 1999

[589] The AP State & Local Wire, January 6, 2000

[590] The Atlanta Journal, January 29, 2000

[591] The AP State & Local Wire, January 25, 2000

[592] APBnews.com , February 1, 2000

[593] Rubber & Plastics News, March 20, 2000

[594] The Associated Press, March 28, 2000

[595] Mother Jones, January 3, 2001/ OSHA

[596] The Morning Call (Allentown), April 5, 2000

[597] The Recorder, April 14, 2000

[598] Associated Press, April 25, 2003, et al.

[599] The AP State & Local Wire, April 3, 2000

[600] The AP State & Local Wire, May 31, 2000

[601] Canada and the World Backgrounder, May 2000

[602] National Labor Committee (www.nlcnet.org/)

[603] Sweatshop Watch, May 15, 2000

[604] Multinational Monitor, June 2000

[605] Crain’s Chicago Business, June 26, 2000

[606] Business Week, July 7, 2000

[607] Los Angeles Times, August 11, 2000

[608] HazMat Transport News, August 1, 2000

[609] CNN (www.cnn.com)

[610] Wired (www.wired.com/)

[611] The Nation, September 4, 2000

[612] San Francisco Chronicle, September 5, 2000

[613] Atlanta Journal & Constitution, October 14, 2000

[614] The Toronto Star, October 4, 2000

[615] Supermarket News, October 23, 2000

[616] The Miami Herald, October 28, 2000

[617] The New York Times, November 29, 2000

[618] The Boston Globe, Nov. 26, 2000

[619] The AP State & Local Wire, November 17, 2000

[620] The AP State & Local Wire, November 24, 2000

[621] AP State & Local Wire, November 22, 2000

[622] Los Angeles Times, November 29, 2000

[623] The New York Times, December 20, 2000

[624] The New York Times, December 8, 2000

[625] The New Republic, December 4, 2000

[626] St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 30, 2000

[627] The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 12, 2001

[628] The New York Times, January 28, 2001

[629] Los Angeles Times, Jan. 24, 2001

[630] San Francisco Gate

[631] The Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2001

[632] San Francisco Gate, February 1, 2001

[633] Seattle Post-Intelligencer

[634] The Associated Press, February 16, 2001

[635] The Independent (London), February 23, 2001

[636] Business First, et al.

[637] Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 2001, et al.

[638] Associated Press, March 2, 2001

[639] Reuters, March 8, 2001

[640] The Dallas Morning News, March 30, 2001

[641] The Los Angeles Times, March 1, 2001

[642] The New York Times, March 19, 2001

[643] National Labor Committee (www.nlcnet.org/)

[644] The Associated Press, March 29, 2001

[645] Biodemocracy News, March 2001

[646] The Legal Intelligencer, March 7, 2001

[647] National Labor Committee, et al.

[648] AP State & Local Wire, March 14, 2001

[649] Chicago Tribune, March 27, 2001

[650] Bloomberg News

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in CHICAGO (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

#20yrsago EFF guide to Gmail privacy https://web.archive.org/web/20040516090804/https://blogs.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/001425.php#001425

#20yrsago Stephenson’s money-centric interview on Wired News https://web.archive.org/web/20040510183726/http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,63050,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

#15yrsago Somali pirates versus European toxic-waste dumpers https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html

#15yrsago If you lose your Amazon account, your Kindle loses functionality https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44350&highlight=amazon+banning

#15yrsago Secretive US prisons hold “terrorists” including animal rights activists and people who gave to the wrong charity http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/communication-management-units-mcgowan/1747/

#5yrsago The #ShellPapers: crowdsourcing analysis of all correspondence between Shell and the Dutch government https://www.ftm.nl/dossier/shell-papers

#5yrsago Air tanker drops are often useless for fighting wildfires, but politicians order them because they make good TV https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-wildfires29-2008jul29-story.html

#5yrsago America today feels like the last days of the Soviet Union https://eand.co/how-american-collapse-resembles-soviet-collapse-94773b44fe17

#5yrsago EFF to Facebook: enforce your rules banning cops from creating sockpuppet accounts and be transparent when you catch cops doing it https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/04/facebook-must-take-these-four-steps-counter-police-sock-puppets

#5yrsago Not just Apple: Microsoft has been quietly lobbying to kill Right to Repair bills https://medium.com/u-s-pirg/microsoft-named-as-stopping-right-to-repair-in-washington-b880bf4ad052

#5yrsago Silicon Valley’s techie uprisings reveal growing support for socialism in tech https://www.salon.com/2019/04/11/silicon-valley-once-a-bastion-of-libertarianism-sees-a-budding-socialist-movement/

#5yrsago Investors controlling $3B in Facebook stock demand Zuckerberg’s ouster, and they will lose https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-investors-will-vote-to-oust-mark-zuckerberg-as-chairman-2019-4

#5yrsago Starz abuses the DMCA to remove EFF’s tweet about Starz abusing the DMCA https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/04/effs-tweet-about-overzealous-dmca-takedown-now-subject-overzealous-takedown

#5yrsago RIP, science fiction and fantasy Grand Master Gene Wolfe, 1931-2019 https://reactormag.com/gene-wolfe-in-memoriam-1931-2019/

#5yrsago Leaked, “highly classified” French report shows that the slaughter in Yemen depends on US support https://theintercept.com/2019/04/15/saudi-weapons-yemen-us-france/

#1yrago SVB bailouts for everyone – except affordable housing projects https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/15/socialism-for-the-rich/#rugged-individualism-for-the-poor

[dippyface]

Researchers say DRC mining practices constitute human trafficking because hundreds of thousands of people—including tens of thousands of children—work for a few dollars a day in harrowing conditions. Workers must use basic tools such as shovels and pickaxes in fragile tunnels that lack ventilation or in open-air pits that are prone to collapsing. Mining companies have also joined forces with the local military to burn down or bulldoze villages so they can expand operations in resource-rich areas, according to a report published this fall by Amnesty International. And cobalt is highly toxic, contaminating the air, land and water around mines.

But can we really prevent harm by buying used and selling our old gadgets? According to a report from two French governmental agencies, the answer is yes: buying one used phone avoids the need to extract around 180 pounds of raw materials. If everyone in the U.S. kept their phone for an extra year on average, that would cut the manufacturing demand by more than 40 million pounds of raw materials per day.

“Anything we do that keeps devices in use longer ... reduces the amount of minerals that are needed,” says Lucas Gutterman, director of the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG’s) Designed to Last campaign against e-waste and planned obsolescence.

•••••

Worldwide, only about 17 percent of electronics get properly recycled. Researchers are currently working on ways to improve this, but most current methods are nascent and could take years to make a significant impact. In the meantime refurbishing and reusing your own devices is a more effective solution. That means donating or selling the old phone, laptop or tablet you have stashed away at home, Gutterman says. “Don’t just let it sit around, because every year that it’s sitting in your junk drawer, it’s going to become less valuable,” he says. “Do pass it on.”

[kennak]

米非営利組織 PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) が Microsoft に対し、Windows 10 のサポート延長を求める 2 万人の署名を送ったそうだ (メディアリリース、 The Register の記事、 BetaNews の記事)。 Windows 10 のサポートは 2025 年で終了するため、Microsoft では Windows 11 へのアップグレードを推奨しているが、現在 Windows 10 を実行している 10 億台の PC のうち 40% は Windows 11 の要件を満たさないとみられる。PIRG によれば、Windows 10 のサポート終了は、これまでにない大量のコンピューターを一気に陳腐化する行為だという。これは高価なデバイスが長期間使用できることを期待する消費者を裏切るだけでなく環境にも悪影響を及ぼし、Microsoft の掲げる意欲的な環境目標にも逆行するものだとして、サティア・ナデラ氏に再考を求めている。 製品の計画的な旧式化は多くのメーカーが行っているが、Apple が猛反対してきた修理する権利を支持し、Google が Chromebook に 10 年間の自動更新提供を発表するなど状況は変わりつつある。Microsoft はどうするだろうか。

米非営利組織、4億台のPCをゴミにしないようWindows 10のサポート延長を求める | スラド サイエンス

[keroinnie]

thinking about that person who worked at pirg who went to duke to help set up there and when i asked her how it was she said to me "once i got over how beautiful the campus was i realized how trash the students were" and nothing truer has ever been said

[krill-joy]

The awards also feature a category called “who asked for this?” Top of that list was Samsung’s Bespoke AI Washing Machine, which Nathan Proctor, senior director of U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, said is filled “with features no one needs,” including the ability to make phone calls. “These add-ons only make the appliance more expensive, fragile, and harder to repair,” he said. Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

[itsappleexpert]

The Most Influential People in the iPad Repair Industry

The iPad repair industry has grown significantly over the years, fueled by technological advancements, the increasing popularity of Apple devices, and the push for sustainable tech practices. Behind the scenes, a handful of individuals have had a profound impact on shaping this industry. Whether through innovative repair techniques, advocacy for the right-to-repair movement, or building successful businesses, these influential figures have left a lasting mark on the field. Here’s a look at the most influential people in the iPad repair industry and how they’ve shaped its evolution.

1. Kyle Wiens - Co-Founder of iFixit

Kyle Wiens is a household name in the repair world, known for co-founding iFixit, a company that has revolutionized the DIY repair industry. iFixit provides free online guides and high-quality tools for repairing various devices, including iPads. Wiens is also a vocal advocate for the right-to-repair movement, campaigning for greater access to repair information and parts. His work has empowered millions of users to fix their own devices, reducing electronic waste and democratizing repair knowledge.

2. Jessa Jones - Founder of iPad Rehab

Jessa Jones is a pioneer in micro-soldering and advanced board-level repairs. Her company, iPad Rehab, is renowned for handling complex logic board issues that many repair shops consider unfixable. Through her online courses and YouTube tutorials, Jones has trained countless technicians in micro-soldering techniques, raising the industry standard for advanced repairs. Her expertise and passion for repair have made her a leader in the field.

3. Louis Rossmann - Right-to-Repair Advocate and Repair Expert

Louis Rossmann is a prominent repair technician and advocate for the right-to-repair movement. Through his YouTube channel, Rossmann has educated millions on repair techniques for Apple devices, including iPads, and exposed the challenges posed by restrictive repair policies. His transparency, technical skill, and no-nonsense approach have earned him a dedicated following and made him a powerful voice for repair professionals worldwide.

4. Tim Hicks - Founder of TIMLabs

Tim Hicks is an innovator in data recovery and repair techniques for iPads and other devices. His company, TIMLabs, specializes in recovering data from devices with severe damage, such as liquid exposure or logic board failure. Hicks’ cutting-edge methods have made him a sought-after expert for both repair shops and consumers looking to retrieve invaluable data.

5. Scotty Allen - DIY Repair Enthusiast and Content Creator

Scotty Allen is a former software engineer turned hardware enthusiast who gained fame for building an iPhone from spare parts in Shenzhen, China. While primarily focused on DIY projects, his deep dives into how devices like iPads are constructed and repaired have inspired a new generation of tech enthusiasts to explore repair as a skill. His YouTube channel, Strange Parts, has popularized repair culture worldwide.

6. Richard Warner - Co-Founder of uBreakiFix

As the co-founder of uBreakiFix, Richard Warner has played a crucial role in professionalizing the repair industry. uBreakiFix is one of the largest repair chains in North America, offering services for iPads and other electronics. Warner’s vision of creating a repair service that prioritizes customer satisfaction and accessibility has helped make professional iPad repair widely available.

7. Nathan Proctor - Director of the Right-to-Repair Campaign

Nathan Proctor is a leading advocate for the right-to-repair movement and serves as the director of the campaign under the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). While not a repair technician, his work lobbying for legislation that enables independent repair businesses and consumers to access tools, parts, and manuals has had a transformative impact on the industry. Proctor’s efforts ensure that the iPad repair industry continues to thrive in an increasingly restrictive environment.

8. Kevin Purdy - Repair Advocate and Journalist

Kevin Purdy has written extensively about the repair industry and its challenges, shedding light on issues like planned obsolescence and restrictive repair policies. As a journalist for outlets like iFixit and Ars Technica, Purdy has brought attention to the importance of repairability in technology, influencing public opinion and encouraging consumers to seek repair options for their devices.

9. Mark Shaffer - CEO of Cell Phone Repair (CPR)

Mark Shaffer heads Cell Phone Repair (CPR), a global franchise with a significant presence in the iPad repair market. Under his leadership, CPR has expanded to over 800 locations worldwide, offering quick and reliable repair services for a wide range of devices. His emphasis on quality and consistency has elevated the professionalism of the repair industry.

10. Paul Daniels - Creator of FlexBoardView

Paul Daniels is the developer behind FlexBoardView, a software tool that helps technicians visualize circuit board layouts for Apple devices, including iPads. This tool has been instrumental in enabling repair professionals to diagnose and repair complex board-level issues. Daniels’ contribution has made advanced iPad repairs more accessible to technicians around the world.

11. Rory Laitila - Founder of TechRestore

Rory Laitila founded TechRestore, a company specializing in Apple device repairs, including iPads. His emphasis on fast turnaround times and high-quality repairs has earned TechRestore a reputation as one of the most reliable repair providers in the U.S. Laitila’s business model has inspired other repair entrepreneurs to focus on customer satisfaction and efficiency.

12. Elizabeth Chamberlain - Director of Sustainability at iFixit

Elizabeth Chamberlain is a key figure at iFixit, where she oversees sustainability initiatives. Her work emphasizes the environmental benefits of repair, advocating for reducing electronic waste by extending the lifespan of devices like iPads. Chamberlain’s efforts have helped highlight the importance of repair in achieving a more sustainable tech industry.

13. David LeGrande - Founder of Fix Stop

David LeGrande is the founder of Fix Stop, a boutique repair service known for its attention to detail and excellent customer care. His approach to combining technical expertise with outstanding service has set a new standard for smaller repair businesses, demonstrating that independent shops can compete with larger chains by prioritizing quality and relationships.

14. Erin Mitchell - Expert Trainer and Consultant

Erin Mitchell has made a name for herself by providing training and consulting services to repair businesses. Her expertise in streamlining operations, training staff, and implementing best practices has helped numerous repair shops enhance their services and profitability. Mitchell’s influence is felt across the industry as she continues to mentor the next generation of repair professionals.

15. Terry Daidone - Founder of Gadget Guard

Terry Daidone is the founder of Gadget Guard, a company that produces screen protectors and other accessories designed to prevent damage to devices like iPads. By creating products that complement the repair industry, Daidone has contributed to the ecosystem of protecting and repairing devices, reinforcing the importance of both prevention and remediation.

The iPad repair industry wouldn’t be where it is today without the contributions of these influential individuals. From pioneering new repair techniques to advocating for consumer rights and building successful businesses, they’ve shaped the industry’s growth and ensured its continued relevance. Their collective efforts not only make iPad repairs more accessible but also inspire a more sustainable and repair-friendly future for technology.