Challenging the Chip: Labor Rights and Environmental Justice in the Global Electronics Industry.

Challenging the Chip: Labor Rights and Environmental Justice in the Global Electronics Industry By Ted Smith, David A. Sonnenfeld and David Naguib Pellow Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006 357 pages; $25.95

"OF THE MILLIONS OF WORDS written over the past several decades about

the electronics industry's incredible transformation of our world, far too few have addressed the downsides of this revolution." So begins Challenging the Chip, a poignant expose of the environmental, public health and labor rights abuses of an industry that has come to symbolize progress and prosperity in the public eye. This broad anthology identifies the dark underbelly of the electronics revolution and seeks to ignite discussions between labor, environmentalist and human rights activists about how to address industry misconduct.

Challenging the Chip makes it resoundingly clear that this "clean industry" is neither clean nor safe. Electronics manufacturing utilizes over a thousand chemicals, many of which have harmful effects. Many workers are exposed to these dangerous chemicals without being told by their employers that they are being put at risk. And the exposures cause many to develop cancer, have miscarriages and give birth to babies with tumors.

Workers also face exploitative conditions. Many electronics laborers in developing countries do not have the right to form a union; the mainly female work three must also contend with gender discrimination and poor wages.

The industry's deleterious effects extend beyond the factories into surrounding communities where people suffer from chemical exposure. This is a particular problem in developing countries, which are the recipients of electronics waste from all over the world.

Efforts to address the industry's problems face many challenges. Since the 1980s, electronics production networks have become more complex and decentralized. At the same time, corporate globalization has allowed high-tech companies to shop around for subcontractor manufacturing locations with the lowest labor and environmental standards. This combination has extended the reach of the electronics industry while diminishing its accountability for the environmental and social problems it creates.

Despite this grim reality, the pages of this book are filled with hope. Grassroots environmental activists and labor organizers tell of campaigns to improve working conditions and decrease harm to the environment, some of which have enjoyed astounding success. There is a particular emphasis on campaigns advocating "extended producer responsibility," or the principle that companies should take responsibility for the social and environmental effects of the full life cycles of their products, including production and disposal.

The anthology format of this book integrates multiple voices and perspectives to provide an accessible explanation of a complex issue. While at first the articles seem to jump from topic to topic, once the final page is turned, all of the pieces come together, leaving the reader with a well-rounded understanding of challenges and struggles in the global electronics industry.