[freegeek-e-newsletter] Special Edition FreeGeek E-newsletter

[e-newsletter at lists.freegeek.org]

Hi there, folks!  We interrupt our usual (recently infrequent) email 
newsletter schedule to bring you an important announcement and call for help.

A committee of the State Legislature is currently editing legislation to 
improve the management of e-waste disposal, and intends to bring a bill 
before the House by mid-March. We are generally supportive of their efforts, 
but there are two areas that we're concerned might not be addressed without 
our community's strong advocacy:

1. The law should emphatically prioritize *reuse* over *recycling* of 
electronic waste. Prioritizing reuse is better for the environment, because 
it means less new stuff has to be made; it's better for our 
digitally-detached brothers and sisters, because it makes more equipment 
available for their use; and it's better for Free Geek, because our ability 
to make better use of discarded equipment than recycling companies would be 
bolstered by some kind of financial incentive.

2. The law should include provisions that ensure that the waste processors at 
the end of the line act responsibly. We believe the two best tools for this 
are certification and transparency. If the law requires that factories 
maintain a certification, that gives the state the ability to disqualify 
irresponsible factories. If the law effectively promotes transparency, it 
will be possible for the public, and organizations like Free Geek, to keep an 
eye on what factories are doing the disposal, and what their practices are.

This legislation is being discussed by the House Energy and Environment 
committee for another 2 weeks, so now's the time for us, and you, to make our
marks. After the bill is finalized, it'll go to the House for a vote.

Please help us make these good bills even better (and help Free Geek keep our 
funding)!  How?  If you live in District 45 or 46 in Portland, we could use 
your help (that's from approximately Powell Blvd. to Killingsworth and SE
39th to I-205).  Ya see, the representatives of those districts are on the
committee which is discussing the proposed e-waste bills, and their 
constituents will hold the most sway for them, and are Free Geek's best way
to be heard.

If you think you live in Districts 45 or 46, please check the maps below to be
sure:

* District 45
Rep. Jackie Dingfelder
http://www.leg.state.or.us/dingfelder/hd45.jpg
900 Court St. NE, H-377
Salem, OR 97301
Session Phone: 503-986-1445
Email: rep.jackiedingfelder at state.or.us

* District 46
Rep. Ben Cannon
http://www.leg.state.or.us/cannon/hd46.jpg
District 46
900 Court St. NE, H-487
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-1446
Email: rep.bencannon at state.or.us

Then, if you live in the lines, you can:
- Print off and send the corresponding attached letter,
- Come in to Free Geek for a copy of the letter: we'll send it for you!
- Make a call to your House Representative, and/or
- Write an email to your Representative


Thanks for taking the time to read this and take action!  Please feel free to
send an email to <outreach at freegeek.org> if you have any questions.


Shawn Furst
Outreach-er
Free Geek


* The complete texts of 2 of the bills being considered can be found here (the 
third, HB 541 is substantially the same as HB 2626):
- [1] HB 2395
http://www.oregonpriorities.org/electronic-waste-recycling/
legislative-action-on-electronic-waste/hb2395.intro%284%29.pdf
- [2] HB 2626
http://oregonpriorities.org/electronic-waste-recycling/legislative-
action-on-electronic-waste/hb2626.intro%282%29.pdf
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