Mobile Ministry Magazine

One of the reasons why I have always been behind closing the digital divide has been the fact that even mildly used computers can have a place in areas where there are none. Espeically in the sense that US Americans throw away as many computers as they buy, there would have to reason that someone could benefit from that technology.

But something that has been on the back of my mind, not really the front, since I worked at a teen center that received some of these old computers, is the question of what to do with these items if they came in no good, or even met end of life at the teen center. Our only option with these was to throw them in the trash because there was no place that handled the hazordous waste that older computers would have.

Reading this report from the NY Times reminds me of the stewardship aspect of computing. Yes, developing and equipping are important, but a complete solution also looks at the waste that would be created and how it would be disposed of. I can say that for MMM, when we get to the point of donating computers on a larger scale, I'd like the computer manufacturers to be there with a plan for how to dispose of these computers (or at least the city having a plan of disposal). That picture in the Times article was simply disgusting. And I feel sick to my stomach knowing that I contributed to someone else having diseases and contimated resources because of my "charity."

Times link care of Engadget.