Publish at May 01 2024 Updated May 01 2024
Programmed obsolescence is one of the most important ecological issues. Environmental associations have realized that many appliances are often designed to last only a limited number of years, forcing consumers to have to buy another appliance or phone. Consequently, in 2015, the organization "Halte à l'obsolescence programmée" (HOP) was set up to fight the issue legally and politically in France.
Interviewed in this interview, co-founder Samuel Sauvage talks frankly about the successes and difficulties of this fight. Indeed, it hasn't always been easy to motivate people to get involved in civil society, especially given the length of legal proceedings. Nevertheless, he is proud of the fact that HOP has made it possible to push the subject of programmed obsolescence into the media, to encourage the creation of laws to counter the phenomenon and to ensure that they are implemented. Of course, there's still a long way to go, but this project, which started out as a personal achievement, has succeeded in having an impact on the consumer world.
The organization remains aware, however, that legislation is not enforced if there are no complaints. They will therefore act as watchdogs to ensure that offenders are punished. In addition, HOP is seeking to raise awareness among companies and citizens of their methods and consumption. One of the projects is to show obsolescence not only in electronics, but also in other areas such as the clothing industry, which encourages over-consumption and contributes to global pollution.
Running time: 19 minutes
You might also like:
Teaching children about economics
The world revolves around the trade of goods and services. Consequently, it seems essential to teach children the basics of economics. This can be done from early childhood and in stages. This way, they will learn to save and spend money wisely.
Can engineers do without intuition?
Intuition, often neglected in engineering training, is crucial to scientific innovation. Neither a magical gift nor a mere chance, it is the fruit of a complex neurological process combining experience and bodily sensations. Intuition can sometimes mislead us when faced with complex systems, but it's a skill that develops with practice and vigilance.
The obstacles of explicitation 2/2
While explicitation is an exceptional phenomenological approach to revealing implicit information, it is nonetheless necessary to overcome cultural and memory obstacles in order to unearth the implicit aspects of professional gestures.
Curiosity: a risky practice, but a very interesting one!
When it comes to encouraging curiosity, students, teachers and administrators alike are walking on eggshells. We want to encourage curiosity, but not just any old way... Two lessons to help the curious survive.
Cultural and historical outing: see it for real
History happened somewhere. History is written with tools and materials in a context. Associative memory works with physical anchors, which is why it's a good idea to go and see, to feel artifacts or copies of them, or to re-enact situations. Sometimes, history is actually being written. There's no shortage of possibilities: thousands of them. Let's get inspired!
