Jacob's second half project

Jacob's Project stuff is going on this page

• This is the proposed plan of action for the project I will be undertaking

for the next few months. Briefly, Luiz and I will be working on a plan for me to hit up administrators at UofP, Reed, Lewis & Clark, Marylhurst, and Willammette colleges for their computers. The following steps are a basic rundown:

Create a narrative/sales pitch

Problems

• From the standpoint of a institution - Environmental toxins, emissions (Co2)...greenhouse stuff is hot, "carbon footprint," sustainability, lack of control over what happens to the equipment after it leaves (China, India -- kids dismantling, burning)
  • Problems of obsolescence, space and energy, looking like they care about the environment.These may not be the best angles, but should be firm in the mind when on the mound.
• From our standpoint - toxins, emissions (31.83 tons of emissions saved by reuse versus 1.39 metric tons of emissions saved by recycling) -- important statistic, but probably need better, more concrete statistics that anyone can relate to, environmental justice, digital divide and education, encouraging use of free/cheap tools (Linux/GNU), staying alive

Solutions

• Do nothing, give hardware to friends, sell used stuff to students, storing it (PCC-Sylvania), using a commercial recycler, having IT guys take it and sell in on ebay (us) Sort and grade to reuse what you can, keep the most poisonous things out of landfills, keep everything out of china, sell some of this stuff to pay for staff and education, make the community part of the solution,
  • Try to align common problems between the institutions and FG.
    • What are concerns that both parties have in common?

Ask (feel them out, but ask in some way)

• Prepare questions and ways of asking based on predicted scenarios?
• Who to ask

1. Administrators (pretty high up)
2. IT folk
3. student body (esp, student newspapers)
4. alumni groups

WIIFT (What's In It For Them)

• May actually provide answers to possible objections (but be ready for more)

1. City contract (bandwagon, credibility)
2. Vanguard (how many schools are participating in an electronic recycling project like this?)
3. This makes them look good
4. media attention (good for both parties involved)
5. trying something new, doing the right thing,promotion to alumni/prospective students, tax breaks! (etc.)

Objections (to overcome)

• Who cares?
  • The students, esp left-leaning
    • This may even provide an opportunity to connect with students at the colleges
  • The public: this provides an excellent opportunity for the colleges to strengthen their ties to the community by showing an interest in the environment and support for FG who not only has an environmental, but a social commitment
    • Connecting with the public also creates a buzz amongst alumni who the school is always looking to for contributions.
• My existing arrangement works (What are existing arrangements?)...why change?
  • Whatever the existing arrangement is, we can create a better arrangement.
  • How?

1. Environmental contributions: reuse, responsible recycling (Not sent to China, India...)
2. Financial: is there one? (pick-up, fees, will they lose income?)
3. Social uplift connection missing from other arrangements

• How do I know you guys are legit?
• Will my data be safe
• Can I have control over what happens to our stuff
• What happens to your stuff downstream (after it leaves FG)?

Links

• Emissions life cycle
• Jacob's brainstorm
• Outline