3 While the freedom of both online and traditional media are pointed out as problematic by international 4 and national 5 observers – in terms of self-censorship and monopolies – internet activists and bloggers provide an alternative. RE:TV 2 and Radio France International-Bulgaria). It has not attempted to prevent the continuing year-long non-transparent monopolisation in the sphere of traditional and electronic media: 2009 was marked by the termination of electronic media models oriented towards public debate (e.g. Given this background, 20 have been marked by a new government that has not changed the inherited negative processes. Since 2008, ICTs in Bulgaria have mainly been associated with the increasing social role of new media (blogs, online media, etc.), and public alarm has been provoked by persistent legislative and policy pressure to infringe on privacy in online communications. Ewaste schemes have been introduced on the market through trade-in offers that help ewaste management companies keep their quotas up, and also boost sales through more affordable prices on new equipment for the mass consumer. Additionally, due to repeated warnings from the European Commission on inefficient waste management in Bulgaria, ewaste policy implementation has also become topical for both the government and the businesses licensed to recycle ewaste. As a result, the market for “green” technologies has increased.
However, businesses stress the importance of technology and have actively identified themselves as responsible, climate-conscious and environmentally friendly by minimising their electricity consumption and using low-energy ICTs – which also saves money. ICTs are mainly viewed as a tool for implementing civil society actions for positive change and not as energy-consuming and polluting technology. Moreover, ICT take-up is rarely in focus in climate change and ewaste debates in Bulgaria.
While key Bulgarian NGO networks such as BlueLink have fostered the use of conventional and innovative information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the work of environmentalists for some time, discussions on electronic waste (ewaste) and ICTs and climate change are just budding in Bulgarian society.Įwaste management is nominally dealt with by national legislation, applying the European Union WEEE Directive, 1 but meets many implementation problems.
0 kommentar(er)
