I suppose I have to justify my cryptic title. I’m talking TVs and fridges, sofas and cars and just about everything you don’t eat. I’m admitting that they have ever better functions at ever cheaper prices. So cheap in fact that it isn’t even worth fixing them. It’s cheaper to go out and get a brand new one. And there is the problem. There is no incentive to make them modular, durable or repairable or recyclable. I and you can afford to buy this torrent of consumer goods, but it’s getting to the point where we can’t afford to throw the torrent away. We are running out of “away”. The planet can’t afford it.
I have been prompted to think of this issue recently as my phone system was blown up by lightening again. Then retesting a fridge that wasn’t getting cool enough, and trying to restore a TV that didn’t function. I knew there was no hope for the phone/answering machine as I was cooking at the time with the base machine a few meters away and distinctly heard the ‘Phut’. The death rattle of electronic devices. I didn’t even bother to turn round to see if there was a little grey cloud to announce the cremation. It was some time before I heard the dim and distant rumble of thunder.
The fridge, only 5 or 8 years old, was in the shed having already been replaced and I had noticed some wiring had been chewed by melomys so decided to see if I could replace wiring and revive machine. I didn’t hold out much hope as they were all green earth wires which usually don’t have a function until there is a fault. My pessimism was amply rewarded. Motor still runs, but temperature not getting down so the pump runs continuously. Diagnosis….knackered. Fault somewhere in the coolant system and any repair would cost hundreds.
The TV in the games room showed no sign of life and did not respond to the remote. Simplest solution would be batteries required. I tested the batteries and one was totally stuffed only showing 100 millivolts instead of 1.5V. Problem solved! Not so quick. TV still dead as a maggot. Press the buttons on the panel on the side. Still dead. Now I and getting desperate. I take the TV apart hoping to find a blown fuse. As I attempt to take off the back cover, I realise from the design that it was never made to be taken apart. Take the screws out and it is still held together by plastic clips which have to be forced apart by leverage and prone to breakage. It was designed with convenience of assembly in mind and no thought of disassembly. TVs have sunk below the repairable level into the disposable level like razors and nappies. Fridges may be still borderline. I forced my way into the device to find compact circuit boards with no hint of a fuse. What I did find was power wires going to the bottom of the casing and another on/off switch hidden on the underside of the TV. Whose brilliant idea was that to have 2 power switches that have to be simultaneously on? A child safety device? Someone who never had children obviously. Children’s restless and probing fingers go everywhere. Adults rely on logic which leads us to believe if you press the ‘on’ button it is meant to go on. Having managed to get it to power up, I then had to do a channel search as only channel 7 showed up.
The above frustrations lead me to think our consumer society is on a collision course with the laws of physics. As far as I know, there is no appeals court for the laws of physics. Exponential growth curves meet real finite limits. Either on the exploitation side, where we run out of resources such as minerals, fuel and food, the utilisation side where we can’t share equitably and society falls apart, or the disposal side where we drown or are poisoned by our wastes.
There is another commercial model that may serve us better. Where we don’t buy appliances, carpets and cars, but buy the services that provide these things. The service providers can recycle and refurbish, reuse and reduce input with much greater efficiency. The user can get a faulty appliance replaced at no cost as they are buying a service, not a device.
One thing is certain, ‘business as usual’ is not a long term solution.
random shot of the sauna.nothing to do with the post.
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