國際時事跟讀 Ep.K691: 維修權法對科技的影響 The Impact of Right to Repair Laws on Technology: A Shift towards Sustainability

Highlights 主題摘要：

• Environmental Impact: Right to repair laws aim to extend device lifespans, reducing electronic waste and lessening the extraction of rare-earth metals, benefitting the environment.
• Economic Incentives: Consumers can benefit economically from independent repair services, challenging the throwaway culture and offering more affordable options than official repairs.
• Global Legislative Momentum: The right to repair movement, gaining traction globally, seeks to legislate against planned obsolescence, promoting more durable and repairable technology, fostering sustainability.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the ability to repair devices is becoming increasingly challenging. Surera Ward, owner of Girls Fix It, a tech repair service in Pennsylvania, highlights the difficulties in obtaining specialized tools and overcoming manufacturer-imposed obstacles during repairs. With the rise of "parts pairing" and unique serial numbers, repairing electronic devices has become even more complex. However, new consumer rights laws in the US and Europe aim to empower users to repair their devices, potentially reshaping the technology industry.

在科技快速演進的環境中，設備維修能力變得愈來愈具挑戰性。 Girls Fix It 的老闆 Surera Ward ，來自一家位於賓夕凡尼亞州的科技維修服務，強調在進行修復過程中獲取專業工具和克服製造商強加的障礙的困難。隨著「零件配對」和專屬的序號的興起，修復電子設備變得更加複雜。然而，美國和歐洲的新消費者權利法目標賦予用戶修復設備的權力，有望重新塑造科技產業。

As these laws gain traction, there is hope that they will not only extend the lifespan of devices but also reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste. The prevailing trend of consumers replacing devices rather than opting for official manufacturer repairs contributes to the growing issue of electronic waste. The European Environment Agency reveals that many electronic goods have a lifespan 2.3 years shorter than intended, leading to excessive waste production and the extraction of rare-earth metals for new devices.

隨著這些法律獲得推動，人們希望它們不僅能延長設備的壽命，還能減少電子垃圾對環境的影響。消費者更傾向於更換設備而非選擇官方維修服務的趨勢加劇了電子垃圾的問題。歐洲環境署指出，許多電子商品的壽命比預期短2.3年，這導致過量廢物的產生和為新設備提取稀有金屬的問題。

The push for the right to repair is not solely driven by environmental concerns but also by economic factors. Independent repair services like Girls Fix It often offer more affordable options than official repair services, urging consumers to reconsider replacing their devices. The high cost and limited accessibility of official repairs often discourage users, contributing to the throwaway culture prevalent in the tech industry.

維修權的推動不僅僅是受到環境問題的驅使，還包括經濟因素。像 Girls Fix It 這樣的獨立維修服務通常提供比官方維修服務更經濟實惠的選擇，敦促消費者重新考慮是否更換設備。官方維修的高昂成本和有限的交通便利度通常使用戶望而卻步，助長了科技產業普遍的拋棄文化。

The right to repair movement is gaining momentum globally, with initiatives at both the national and European levels. Legislative efforts aim to break the cycle of planned obsolescence and encourage manufacturers to produce more repairable and durable products. The European Union, for instance, has been at the forefront of advocating for the right to repair, prompting changes such as common chargers for electronic devices to reduce costs for consumers.

維修權運動在全球範圍內的發展日漸強盛，不管是在國家或歐洲兩個層面都有相關倡議。立法的努力方向是要打破計劃淘汰的循環，鼓勵製造商生產更容易維修和更耐用的產品。例如，歐盟一直在倡導維修權，例如為電子設備提供通用充電器以降低消費者成本等改變。

Looking ahead, the impact of these legislative changes on the design and production of tech products remains uncertain. While hardware adjustments may not be necessary for devices to be more repairable, there is a call for manufacturers to adopt practices that prioritize repairability. The vision includes a future where devices come with interchangeable batteries and repair stores flourish with accessible spare parts. Ultimately, the right to repair may usher in a new era of sustainable technology, challenging the current norms and fostering a shift towards a more environmentally conscious and economically feasible tech industry.

展望未來，這些法律變革對科技產品的設計和生產的影響仍然不確定。雖然可能不需要對硬體進行調整以使設備更容易維修，但人們仍呼籲製造商優先考慮可維修性的做法。未來的願景包含：設備配備可替換的電池，以及維修店因有易於取得的備用零件而蓬勃發展。最終，維修權可能開啟一個新的可持續技術時代，挑戰當前的規範，促進向更具環保意識和經濟可行性的科技產業轉變。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Obstacle (ob-sta-cle): Surera Ward highlights the difficulties in obtaining specialized tools and overcoming manufacturer-imposed obstacles during repairs.
2. Environmental (en-vi-ron-men-tal): There is hope that they will not only extend the lifespan of devices but also reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste.
3. Legislative (le-gis-la-tive): Legislative efforts aim to break the cycle of planned obsolescence and encourage manufacturers to produce more repairable and durable products.
4. Obsolescence (ob-so-les-cence): Legislative efforts aim to break the cycle of planned obsolescence and encourage manufacturers to produce more repairable and durable products.
5. Interchangeable (in-ter-change-a-ble): The vision includes a future where devices come with interchangeable batteries and repair stores flourish with accessible spare parts

Reference article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231027-how-the-right-to-repair-might-change-technology