-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Sustainability: What and Why?
April 23, 2014 | Joe Fjelstad, Verdant ElectronicsEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
In 2013, Earth welcomed roughly 140 million new citizens, replacing approximately 60 million who passed away, netting a growth in the world’s population of 80 million people--a number which happens to roughly match the population of Egypt. The Earth’s population now stands at more than 7.2 billion. (For those interested, real-time statistical estimates for population and other subjects of significance including health and environmental matters can be found here.)
The numbers are staggering and border on the incomprehensible. They also present an ongoing challenge to us all to find ways to make certain that those just joining the human race have a chance to realize their potential. Without question, it is a huge challenge we collectively face. Presently and throughout history, there has existed a great divide between more advanced and exploitative cultures and nations and the many still developing peoples and nations of the world that coexist on this, our little "blue marble" in space, or as futurist and visionary Buckminster Fuller aptly called it, “Spaceship Earth.” He asserted, and rightly so, that we are all astronauts and as its crew, we needed to maintain the delicate balancing act to assure that Spaceship Earth will allow us to survive future trips around our sun.
The resources of our planet are unquestionably limited and thus are diminishing as we continue to unleash and ramp-up a seemingly never-ending flow of products to both serve and amuse us with output of the global electronics industry likely to be nearing the top of the list of “offenders.” In that regard, we are becoming victims of our own success, to one degree or another. For better or for worse, the engine of economics runs on the fuel that the consumers’ wants must always exceed their needs. Moreover, product developers and promoters are putting forth their best effort to make sure that as many of their products as possible can be perceived as needs rather than simple wants.
Presently, their focus remains targeted on those of us who inhabit the top of the world's economic pyramid and our numbers exceed 3.5 billion people. A substantial market to be sure and already there is evidence that we are, or soon will be, stretching the limits of natural resources. This leaves half of the world's population on the outside looking in. It would seem that, if we are going to satisfy the expectations of those billions of people not fortunate enough to be born in the right place at the right time, we are going to have to make some adjustments in our approach to the design and manufacture of future products. In short, we are going to have to look very seriously at what we might need to do to create a truly sustainable electronics manufacturing industry in the future.
Read the full column here.
Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the April 2014 issues of SMT Magazine and The PCB Magazine.
Suggested Items
AIM to Highlight NC259FPA Ultrafine No Clean Solder Paste at SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum
04/18/2024 | AIMAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum taking place on May 7 at the Four Points by Sheraton | Milwaukee Airport, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
New Yorker, Geyer Electronic Sign New Distribution Agreement
04/16/2024 | New Yorker Electronics Co.New Yorker Electronics, global distributor of electronic components, recently announced a new franchised distribution agreement with Geyer Electronic. Geyer is an international manufacturer of Quart Crystals, Oscillators and Resonators.
DigiKey, 3PEAK Establish Global Distribution Partnership
04/11/2024 | DigiKeyDigiKey, a leading global commerce distributor offering the largest selection of technical components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment, announced today its expanded product portfolio through a strategic global distribution partnership with 3PEAK, a high-performance developer of semiconductor technology.
U.S. Updates Advanced Semiconductor Ban, Actual Impact on the Industry Will Be Insignificant
04/09/2024 | TrendForceOn March 29th, the United States announced another round of updates to its export controls, targeting advanced computing, supercomputers, semiconductor end-uses, and semiconductor manufacturing products.
DuPont Unveils Pyralux ML Laminate Series, Offering High Thermal Management for Extreme Environments
04/09/2024 | DuPontDuPont introduced the DuPont™ Pyralux® ML Series of double-sided metal-clad laminates, a unique addition to its extensive family of Pyralux® laminates for flexible and rigid-flex printed circuit boards (PCBs).