The research investigates use of materials in the chain of production processes to make microchips. A main result is that the total weight of fossil fuels and chemicals required to make a 2-gram 32MB memory chip is 1,200 grams and 72 grams respectively. Add 400 grams of fossil fuel use to make the electricity consumed during the use phase the total result is that one small chip needs about 1.7 kg of fossil fuels and chemicals for production and use. Also, 32,000 grams of water are required per chip. This suggests that the environmental impacts of making a chip belies its small size. Chips are much more intensive that traditional products, the ratio of production inputs to the weight of the final product is 630 for a memory chip, but only about 2 for an automobile or 4-5 for an aluminum can. Industry, government and the public should work to minimize environmental impacts and maximize the benefits of computers.

The results of the study have been extensively covered by the scientific, business and popular media, including BBC, Nature, Scientific American, Financial Times, Business Week, Science News as well as a number of national and regional newspapers around the world.

A selection of press coverage of the article:

Web

• Nature, "Why microchips weigh over a kilogram"
  
• Scientific American, "Making Microchips Takes Mountain of Materials"
  
• Business Week, "Microchips weigh heavily on environment"
  
• British Broadcasting Corproation (BBC), "Chips cost environment dear"
  
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), "Computer microchip weighs heavily on environment "
  
• Salon.com, “Silicon Hogs”
  

Print media

• Sierra, “Little Chips, Big Impact”, March/April 2003, p. 68
  
• WorldWatch, “Microchips are tiny, but their environmental footprint is heavy”, 16(2). Mar/Apr 2003, P 8
  
• The Ecologist, “Chips bad for the Environment?”, February 2003, p. 10
  
• Globe and Mail, "Computer chip production raises environmental questions", January 27, 2002, Business section p. 1
  
• Japan Times, “Chips with Everything makes for a high-tech mess”, January 23, 2003、p. 16
  
• Financial Times, "Green pressure on chips ", December 5, 2002, p. 13
  
• Science, “The Macro side of Microchips”, Nov. 8, 2002, 298(5586), p. 1137.
  
• New Scientist, “Computing's dirty little secret is finally revealed”, Nov. 16, 2002,. 176(2369), p. 8
  
• Science News, "Hidden costs: it takes much stuff to make one tiny chip", November 16, 2002, p. 309
  
• Chemical & Engineering News, "Heavy Burden of Microchips", Dec. 23, p. 25-27
  
• Frankfurter Rundschau, "Kiloschwerer Mikrochip ", Dec. 9, 2002 (In German)
  
• NRC Handelsblad, "De macrozijde van microchips", Nov. 23, 2002 (In Dutch)
  

Radio

BBC World Service and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation have also covered the story in the following radio programs:

• BBC "Go Digital" (coverage begins 2:15 min. into Nov. 11 edition)
• CBC "As It Happens" (coverage begins 38:40 min. into part 2 of Nov. 28 edition)

Increased awareness plays a role in stimulating response to address the environmental implications of Information Technology.

On this website, the abstract and full reference to the article appears on the Publications page, while a 15 minute presentation about the work can be viewed via the Online Education section.