Thanks for that perspective! A British colleague of mine once suggested Europe and the U.K. were more progressive on controlling the environment and waste because they geographically are so much smaller than the U.S. and have less room to dump everything! (Of course, that doesn't explain China's problem with pollution.) Anyway, whether it is roses or regional square footage, somebody's got their eye on the ball.
There is a compelling business argument for uniting standards under one organization. Companies (and gardeners) could spend much less time figuring out where and what they have to comply with and focus more on internal efforts toward green. Coming up with a lead-free solder took the electronics industry more than a decade and some of the industry's best talent was on that project. Undoing the damage of DDT is still going on in the U.S. Imagine what we could have accomplished if we had banned substances our overseas colleagues banned decades ago!
That's true, Barbara. Concern with what's good for the environment has come to America's attention only relatively recently. For example,The New York Botanical Garden has only started shifting over to flowers that will thrive without the aid of chemical sprays. See http://www.nybg.org/sustainability/ What makes a garden green may not be consider "green" in the environmental sense. The gardenfeatures 19 of the 20 varieties of roses that have proved themselves "Earth-Kind" in Texas and are now conducting their own research for a four year period. You can read about that at http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2010/01/15/earth-kind-rose-a-what/ According to the guide to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, Germany already outlawed sprays 20 years ago, though in the US it appear to still be a voluntary movement. So standards, certainly, do vary around the globe even with respect to roses.
Like Bolaji said, to solution to these continental divides is Continental Bridges.
If we have IEEE, ISO standards so such things as internet protocol, machine and equipment design, part specifications for specific environments, etc, then there is nothing wrong with having international standards for environmental issues, as a matter of fact, i wonder why there isn't any already.
Environmental issues are universial, so why should there be state based laws.
Member associations of manufactureres, and other important associations need to sit down and set at the least, a minimum requirement which will take care of major issues.
I think that will make life easier for everyone and even make business easier too.
"India. Revisions to India’s proposed regulations were issued Oct. 7, and the news is good: The scope of the laws is not as broad as originally planned. The original proposal would have required most, if not all, electronics products to comply with hazardous materials restrictions."
Ummmm.... not sure this is good news actually. Much of industrial India is a toxic sludge dump. Making all electonics comply with hazmat restirctions seems like a good idea to me, no?
It's time for global rules and regulations governing electronic production rather than the multiplying set of local, state, national and regional policies high-tech companies must now comply with. It's tough enough dealing with even one single nation's policies but complying with regulations from all over the world that may be completely different further complicates the business climate for companies. The reason for these rules and regulations is to improve and lessen the environmental footprint of high-tech goods and not to serve as punishment for being involved in the business.
The industry needs to remind regulators that many companies now generate substantial portions of their sales outside of their home countries and that means they cannot afford to run afoul of laws that they may not even be aware of. The onus of ensuring compliance rests with companies but governments and regulators should not make this tough goal even more difficult. It's time for global environmental rules and a single transnational watchdog.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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