For this year’s Festival of Ideas, organised by York University, I have teamed up with colleagues and students from Electronic Engineering at York to create an event around mobile phone technology.
We’ll begin by looking at the story behind a phone’s handset, unravelling supply chains, design features, and end-of-life disposal options. Our investigation will take the form of an urban mining workshop, following closely the template provided freely by FAIRPHONE [1].
Then we’ll look at the wider societal impacts of this technology using a method of technology assessment pioneered in the context of development work. This method is being used by researchers at York University to involve the local community in the design of water quality sensors in the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu.
Tickets can be booked via the Festival of Ideas website here. Below, I give a bit more detail on the background for this event.
The story behind FAIRPHONE
About a year ago, I felt the need to upgrade to a smartphone, which is a useful and somewhat expected tool to own in today’s western society. There are however many problematic issues related to such consumer electronics, in particular at the beginning and end of their life-cycles:
We’ll begin by looking at the story behind a phone’s handset, unravelling supply chains, design features, and end-of-life disposal options. Our investigation will take the form of an urban mining workshop, following closely the template provided freely by FAIRPHONE [1].
Then we’ll look at the wider societal impacts of this technology using a method of technology assessment pioneered in the context of development work. This method is being used by researchers at York University to involve the local community in the design of water quality sensors in the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu.
Tickets can be booked via the Festival of Ideas website here. Below, I give a bit more detail on the background for this event.
The story behind FAIRPHONE
About a year ago, I felt the need to upgrade to a smartphone, which is a useful and somewhat expected tool to own in today’s western society. There are however many problematic issues related to such consumer electronics, in particular at the beginning and end of their life-cycles:
- the sourcing of raw materials, with issues such as pollution and poor working conditions in mining areas, usually in the Third World, as well as dramatic problems surrounding conflict minerals (see e.g. [2]),
- the recycling and disposal of electronic goods when they are no longer working, or simply out of fashion – in 2018, it is estimated that the global quantity of e-waste generated will reach close to 50 million tons [3].
As a result, I wondered whether there was such a thing as an ‘ethical phone’ on the market, and an internet search very quickly pointed towards FAIRPHONE, an Amsterdam-based company. I agreed a contract with the Phone Coop and received my refurbished handset soon after.
FAIRPHONE’s story is an antidote to the tendency we can have to turn a blind eye on the problems of the world because we believe that’s the way things work, and there isn’t much we can do about it. They didn’t start as a company, but as a campaign to raise awareness of conflict minerals in Eastern Congo [4]. Designing a fair phone was their way of bringing the many issues surrounding consumer electronics to the public eye, and to take practical steps towards finding solutions that would improve the status quo. In their own words:
FAIRPHONE’s story is an antidote to the tendency we can have to turn a blind eye on the problems of the world because we believe that’s the way things work, and there isn’t much we can do about it. They didn’t start as a company, but as a campaign to raise awareness of conflict minerals in Eastern Congo [4]. Designing a fair phone was their way of bringing the many issues surrounding consumer electronics to the public eye, and to take practical steps towards finding solutions that would improve the status quo. In their own words:
In 2013, FAIRPHONE launched a movement for fairer electronics. By making a phone, we’re opening up the supply chain and creating new relationships between people and their products. We’re making a positive impact across the value chain in mining, design, manufacturing and life cycle, while expanding the market for products that put ethical values first. Together with our community, we’re changing the way products are made [5].
So what does FAIRPHONE do that allows them to brand their handsets as ‘ethical’?
- They research their supply chain, in particular, they do their best to ensure that the minerals used to make the electronics are mined ethically and do not support armed conflict.
- They design for repair and re-use: the Fairphone 2 is one of the rare modular handsets available on the market, with the possibility to buy spare parts. In addition, it can be charged with any micro USB charger, has a dual sim function and isn’t locked.
- They do their best to ensure that workers involved in the handset’s production in China have decent working conditions (though what counts as decent working conditions there would be hardly acceptable here),
- They investigate recycling options and do offer a recycling scheme.
By making an ethical product, their emphasis is on sharing their story and showing that change is possible – running urban mining workshops has been part of that campaign and we will be using the material, which is freely available to download from their website. They acknowledge that moving towards fairer electronics is work in progress, and highlight that we can all be part of that process. I would put forward the stronger statement that if we use any electronic equipment at all, we should be part of that process and I certainly recommend browsing their website for a wealth of information.
Of course, such initiatives are not going to solve all the issues related to consummer electronics. For example, unravelling the supply chain clearly highlights the kilometres of material transport involved in the fabrication of a handset, and this amount of transportation is unsustainable in times of climate change. Yet it remains that an initiative like FAIRPHONE's raises awareness, not by showing more shocking pictures of child labour or child soldiers or extensive pollution, but by offering a practical way forward, which has its place as part of a wider range of solutions. Crucially, they show that change is possible and I believe their story is worth sharing.
Building water sensors for Vanuatu
In this part of our event we will be using the SHTEPS method of technology assessment. Attendees will be invited to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phone technology in terms of Social, Health, Technical & Financial, Environmental, Political & Institutional, and Sustainability impacts.
This method is being used by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from York University who are designing water sensors for communities in the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu (for details and a video see [6]). An essential and novel component of their project is to fully involve the local community at every stage of the design process to ensure that the final product genuinely meets their needs. Whether in the developing world or not, end users are often little consulted on specific design features and are rarely encouraged to think of the wider ramifications of a technology. Therefore, to ensure that the local people understood what was asked of them with respect to the sensors, the researchers began with running a workshop on the more familiar mobile phone technology. The response was tremendous and paved the way for genuine participative design.
It is our hope that running similar workshops at home will raise the public’s interest for technological design and open a genuine debate on the type of technologies that, as a society, we would like to develop to help shape our future.
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[1] Daria. "Host an Urban Mining Workshop". 2 March 2015. [Blog entry]. Fairphone's blog. Available: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2015/03/02/host-an-urban-mining-workshop/ [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[2] United Kingdom. Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Guidance on Conflict minerals, 19 June 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/conflict-minerals [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[3] C.P. Baldé, V. Forti, V. Gray, R. Kuehr and P. Stegmann, "The Global e-waste monitor - 2017", United Nations University (UNU), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) & International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Bonn/Geneva/Vienna. Available: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Climate-Change/Pages/Global-E-waste-Monitor-2017.aspx
[4] A. Holligan, "Can an ethical smartphone change the world?" BBC News, The Hague, 16th December 2015 [Online]. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35094050 [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[5] Fairphone. About us, https://www.fairphone.com/en/. [Online]. Available: https://www.fairphone.com/en/about/about-us/?ref=footer [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[6] The University of York Research. "Tropical team work: We're helping a South Pacific community in search of clean water". 22nd June 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.york.ac.uk/research/themes/vanuatu-clean-water/ [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
Of course, such initiatives are not going to solve all the issues related to consummer electronics. For example, unravelling the supply chain clearly highlights the kilometres of material transport involved in the fabrication of a handset, and this amount of transportation is unsustainable in times of climate change. Yet it remains that an initiative like FAIRPHONE's raises awareness, not by showing more shocking pictures of child labour or child soldiers or extensive pollution, but by offering a practical way forward, which has its place as part of a wider range of solutions. Crucially, they show that change is possible and I believe their story is worth sharing.
Building water sensors for Vanuatu
In this part of our event we will be using the SHTEPS method of technology assessment. Attendees will be invited to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phone technology in terms of Social, Health, Technical & Financial, Environmental, Political & Institutional, and Sustainability impacts.
This method is being used by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from York University who are designing water sensors for communities in the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu (for details and a video see [6]). An essential and novel component of their project is to fully involve the local community at every stage of the design process to ensure that the final product genuinely meets their needs. Whether in the developing world or not, end users are often little consulted on specific design features and are rarely encouraged to think of the wider ramifications of a technology. Therefore, to ensure that the local people understood what was asked of them with respect to the sensors, the researchers began with running a workshop on the more familiar mobile phone technology. The response was tremendous and paved the way for genuine participative design.
It is our hope that running similar workshops at home will raise the public’s interest for technological design and open a genuine debate on the type of technologies that, as a society, we would like to develop to help shape our future.
____________________________
[1] Daria. "Host an Urban Mining Workshop". 2 March 2015. [Blog entry]. Fairphone's blog. Available: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2015/03/02/host-an-urban-mining-workshop/ [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[2] United Kingdom. Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Guidance on Conflict minerals, 19 June 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/conflict-minerals [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[3] C.P. Baldé, V. Forti, V. Gray, R. Kuehr and P. Stegmann, "The Global e-waste monitor - 2017", United Nations University (UNU), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) & International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Bonn/Geneva/Vienna. Available: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Climate-Change/Pages/Global-E-waste-Monitor-2017.aspx
[4] A. Holligan, "Can an ethical smartphone change the world?" BBC News, The Hague, 16th December 2015 [Online]. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35094050 [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[5] Fairphone. About us, https://www.fairphone.com/en/. [Online]. Available: https://www.fairphone.com/en/about/about-us/?ref=footer [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
[6] The University of York Research. "Tropical team work: We're helping a South Pacific community in search of clean water". 22nd June 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.york.ac.uk/research/themes/vanuatu-clean-water/ [Last accessed: 23rd May 2018]
