E-waste is one of the biggest problems facing those who care about Green IT and green computing. Discarded electronics, when not properly disposed, are exceedingly dangerous and toxic, containing lead, mercury, cadmium and other dangerous wastes. Some unscrupulous U.S. companies have been exporting the problem overseas to developing nations, where the waste is improperly handled, exposing the people who live there to the toxic material.

So it was a disheartening spectacle Sunday night to see the TV show Great Race having contestants taking hammers and their bare hands to electronics, throwing them haphazardly into piles, in Vietnam. The TV show and its contestants can now go on their merry way. The people of Vietnam will have to live with the consequences. For details, see my blog, "Amazing Race: E-Waste Violators' Best Friend."

If you're looking for the best way to handle aging electronics -- rather than tearing them apart with your bare hands, and throwing them in piles -- Robert Houghton, President of Redemtech, has advice for you. In "IT Gets Its Thrift On" he shows that CIOs and IT can reap big benefits and substantial TCO reductions by properly caring for aging hardware, and extending its life cycle. He talks about more than just benefits, though: He also offers hands-on advice on how to extend hardware life cycles, and increase user acceptance of older equipment. It's a fast read, and if you follow the advice, you may save plenty of money.

This report from ChemSec and Clean Production Action highlights the innovations driven by electronics manufacturers that have removed toxics like bromine and chlorine from high-tech gadgets.

These online tools have been developed by The Green Grid to help data center and facilities managers easily determine how much free cooling and free evaporative cooling is available for individual data centers in Europe, North America and Japan.

How can companies ensure that their messages comply with legal requirements, customer expectations, and effective marketing strategies? Join a conversation among a panel of experts moderated by GreenBiz.com executive editor Joel Makower, including Stephen Wenc, president of UL Environment, and Suzanne Shelton, president of the Shelton Group, and Brooks Beard, a partner at Morrison & Foerster, about the ins and outs of green marketing effectively and legally in today's marketplace.