Broken Tech : Broken Earth
Broken Tech: Broken Earth aims to explore how the explosion in technology over the last 80 years has impacted the local and global environment.
Our collection rightly celebrates the incredible evolution of computing technology. However, with tech now embedded in all our lives, and the UK predicted to generate over 30,000 tons of electronic waste a week by the end of this year, the museum has a responsibility to recognise the ecological impact of the rise of technology.
While many museums are grappling with how to tell the stories of objects from cultures that were affected by colonialism, this is the Centre for Computing History’s equivalent ‘skeleton in the closet’. We have not yet told these stories.
Who is funding it?
The Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund, run by the Museums Association, has given us funding to begin exploring this topic. This funding aims to encourage participatory practice in museums.
Participatory practice involves visitors and communities in the creation and interpretation of museum exhibitions, programs, and events content – asking for stories about objects in the collection, rather than assuming we know what the most important stories are. This approach is inclusive, encourages visitors to feel ownership and helps museums discover untold stories about their collections.
Our museum has a unique platform to raise awareness of e-waste and create change. At the end of this two year grant, we will have worked with local communities and co-designed a tried and tested approach to telling the story of tech’s impact on the environment through our collection, and getting people to take action. Whether this approach will involve additional signage, repair cafes or other events, distinct displays, or volunteers explaining the issues, we will be guided by the outcomes of this project.
What are the specific issues we want to explore?
Electronic waste
Electronic waste, or e-waste, poses significant environmental and health risks due to its toxic components, environmental pollution, health risks, disruption of the food chain, and data security issues.
Environmental concerns
Mining for mobile phone elements causes environmental damage, depletes water resources and finite resources, emits greenhouse gases, involves human rights abuses, and generates waste. In addition, around 80% of a smartphone’s carbon footprint is generated during the manufacturing stage.
Some of the vital chemical elements used to make phones are becoming increasingly scarce due to limited supplies, their location in conflict zones and the lack of recycling. Some have been included on an “endangered list” because they are being thrown away in mobile phones at such a high rate.
New practices such as cryptocurrency mining and use of AI have a significant environmental impact including high carbon emissions from fossil fuels, large water footprint, and local pollution issues.
Future Innovation
Without access to the raw materials, future innovation of the kind of our museum celebrates can’t take place.
Local History
Our museum celebrates the importance of Cambridge businesses in the rise of the tech sector. However, the impact of what’s sometimes called the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’ on the local area also has a negative side, and it’s important that we invite local people to tell a wide range of stories as we preserve the history of computing.
What happens next?
We need you!
It’s not possible to say what exactly will happen because the project will be designed by the people who get involved!
We will be holding events to capture ideas, start to gather stories, and plan recycling and awareness raising events. We are already speaking with some local charities and other organisations who are keen to support the project, but we want to work with as many community groups, local people, media, schools and businesses as possible. Please get in touch to register your interest on projects@computinghistory.org.uk
Author: Lizzie Salter
© The Centre for Computing History
Cambridge, UK
www.ComputingHistory.org.uk
