Microchips stomp heavily on the environment
microchips may be small, but their impact on our environment is massive. This was discovered during a study conducted by scientists from the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. The study shows that the environmental footprint of microchips is far more substantial than their small physical size would suggest. The scientists have estimated that producing a two-gramme chip -- the tiny wafer used as part of a personal computer's memory -- requires at least 1.6 kilogrammes (kg) of fossil fuel and chemical inputs.
The results have crucial implications for the debate on 'dematerialisation' -- the concept that technological progress should lead to radical cuts in the amount of materials and energy required to produce goods. The microchip is often seen as the prime example of dematerialisation because of its high value and small size. But the new findings suggest this might not be the case.
The researchers performed a life cycle assessment of one 32-megabyte microchip, tracing it through every level of production -- from raw materials to the final product. In doing so, they estimated the total energy, fossil fuels and chemicals consumed in the production processes. Fossil fuel use correlates with carbon dioxide emissions, and chemical use is suggestive of potential pollution impacts on air, water and soil. It was found that making each chip required 1.5 kg of fossil fuels, 0.07 kg of chemicals, 31.9 kg of water and 0.68 kg of elemental gases.
When compared to more traditional products, such as the automobile, the microchip's inordinate energy requirements become stark. Manufacturing one passenger car requires more than 1996.8 kg of fossil fuel -- a great deal more than one microchip. A car, however, also weighs much more than a microchip. An illustrative figure is the ratio of fossil fuel and chemical inputs to the weight of the final product, excluding energy from the use phase (i.e., gasoline to run a car or electricity to run a computer). This ratio is about 2:1 for a car. For a microchip, it is about 630:1.
The rapid turnover of computer technology also contributes to the environmental impact of the industry. According to the researchers, if you buy five new computers over a period of 10 years, the total energy to produce those computers would be 28 giga-joules (the unit of energy in the metric system). If you buy just one car during that same time period, the total energy would be 46 giga-joules. "The automobile energy is still higher," Williams says, "but the two are not so far apart, which is rather counter-intuitive given how much larger the automobile is." "Our findings show that technology is not free. Microchips have major environmental implications," says Eric Williams, lead author of the study.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.