SAP Introduction

For my Social Action Project, I have decided on focusing around the issue of electronic waste. Recent studies have shown that a large majority of materials that we recycle in the United States actually end up in highly toxic and dangerous recycling operations in Asia. Most of our recycling is being off-shored, and is handled by extremely underpaid workers in poor working conditions. These workers are often children and take apart the electronics by hand in dangerous scrap yards. Other means of exposing of electronic waste include landfills and incineration. When electronics end up in a landfill, they release toxins that eventually make their way to the atmosphere, and when various metals found in electronics are incinerated, they pollute the air as well. We keep on sending our waste to developing countries that risk harm to their workers just to sell the few parts they can salvage. Also, in many areas it is illegal to recycle plastic from e waste in order to avoid hurting the environment, however, these developing countries have no such law. The good name of recycling that has been promoted all these years is being soiled by these types of operations over seas. The three R's we all know, reduce, reuse, and recycle are mentioned in Jim Puckett's article "High Tech's Dirty Little Secret, " but he also mentions another very important R word "Responsibility." Its our responsibility to make sure we don't pollute the earth with our electronic waste, and we find a way to sensibly and intelligently recycle our garbage.

In order to regulate e waste, and deal with it responsibly, I have chosen to take action by organizing a peaceful demonstration regarding electronic waste awareness and prevention. I believe that a rally is the best way to approach this social project. A major problem with the electronic waste issue is that it is not well known, and therefore we should focus the rally on spreading awareness on the issue. If we can just get more people interested in helping the cause, then we can really make a difference because there is strength in numbers. We can draw people to the rally by planning to have a musical group play, and turning the rally into a concert with informative signs and flyers all over the place. We can pass around a petition to regulate waste that is sent to Asia and Africa. Obviously if we can get a more popular music group then we will have a bigger turn out. I think it could work really well, because, in my opinion, have someone preform is far more interesting than having some unknown person speak on a podium for hours. Concerts to benefit causes are very common and successful, although they are mostly used by celebrities. If we can get  celebrity on board, then the event would have huge potential. The concert is certainly not limited to only bands or singers, it could be a comedian or any other entertainer or performer. We can even use donations from the attendees to go towards recycling properly.