Normal, AL, July 23, 2008---Alabama A&M University announces the establishment of the E-Waste Institute that will serve as a medium to educate, train, raise public awareness, and influence public policies about safe environmental practices for electronic waste in Alabama and around the world.
The Institute was developed by representatives from various entities that comprise the E-Waste Consortium, including Extension Assistant Director Dr. Jannie Carter, Extension urban community resource specialist Rosalie Lane, and Extension graduate assistant Erica Fields; researchers Dr. Constance Wilson, Dr. Edward Williams, Dr. Wubishet Tadesse, and Dr. Tefari Tsegaye of Alabama A&M University’s School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; and Charles King, founder of King Electronic Processing in Huntsville, Alabama.
E-waste is a growing global concern and the United States is one of the biggest producers of e-waste today. In 2005, America discarded about 2 million tons of e-waste, yet only 15-20 percent of that waste was recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency further reports that e-waste is growing at three times the rate of household trash in this country. Not only is e-waste filling up our landfills, it contains toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury that pose serious health risks to humans, wildlife, and our environment. Although the United States has yet to develop a comprehensive e-waste management system, the E-Waste Institute is poised to become a premier academic entity that will help to address the question, “What to do with e-waste?”
The Institute is housed within Alabama A&M University’s School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and will support the institution in its threefold mission of teaching, research and Extension. It will officially open its door this fall.
Posted By: Jehan Bunch
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 12:21PM
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