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So
where do these electronic relics go to retire? Between 2003 and 2005, as much
as 85 percent of the disposed electronics in the U.S. went straight in the trash and
headed directly to local landfills or incinerators [source: EPA].
Worldwide, as much as 50 million tons of old electronics are discarded annually
[source: Carroll].

Some
of you may be thinking, “So what? All my other garbage goes to the
landfill, why not my old computer?” But let’s think back to what we
touched on briefly on the previous page — the potentially lethal chemical
combination that could seriously harm the environment if not properly handled.

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by clicking on the region on the left. You may then go directly to your local group by clicking on “Go To” or you may immediately joining by clicking on “Join.” It will generate an automatic e-mail which, when sent, will sign you up for the local group and send you a response with instructions on how it works. Can’t find a group near you? You might want to consider starting one (click on “Start a Group” for instructions). Have fun!

LG Electronics has partnered with Waste Management Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary WM Recycle America, LLC, to establish the LG Electronics Recycling Program. Waste Management will act as the collection, transportation and recycling contractor for the national LG Electronics Recycling Program. The LG Electronics Recycling Program provides consumers with a free and convenient way of recycling their used, unwanted, obsolete or damaged LG consumer electronic products by dropping them off at a designated Waste Management eCycling Center. Waste Management currently has 160 designated drop-off sites across the United States and plans to have at least one drop-off site in each State by September 2008; the number of sites will continue to be expanded over time.

Last night’s House vote against an amendment that would make Net Neutrality enforceable is the result of swarming lobbyists and a multi-million-dollar media campaign by telephone companies that want Congress to hand them control of the Internet.

The fight now moves to the Senate, where there is stronger bi-partisan support for a bill — put forth by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) — that would protect our Internet freedom from AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.

Our grass-roots coalition includes more than 720 groups, 5,000 bloggers and 800,000 individuals who have rallied in support of net neutrality at www.savetheinternet.com. The coalition is left and right, public and private, commercial and noncommercial.

Senators can expect to hear from their constituents on their responsibility to protect Net Neutrality and we will be watching closely to make sure they listen.