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May18,2016
ProfessorCarloRa
DirectorOfSenseableCityLab
MITMIT9209,77MassachusesAvenue
Cambridge,MA02139USA

Re:MyTrackedPrinterScrapRobinIngenthron

DearProfessorRa,

LastFridayIsubmiedseveralpagesofcomments,observaonsandobjeconstoyouremailaddressin
regardstotheMITSenseableCityLabsMONiTOURprojectwithBAN,inregardstothefollowingclaim.

AjointprojectbetweentheBaselActionNetwork(BAN)andtheMITSenseableCityLabhasledtothe
discoveryofpreviouslyunknowninternationalelectronicwasteroutesdepartingfromtheUnitedStates.

IindicatedIdsendahardcopy;itsaachedbuthasbeenedited,hopefullytoprovidemoreclarity.It
maybehelpfultosummarizeourmostimportantrequestsandobjeconsinthisbriefercoverleer.

Theconclusionthatsomethingnewwasdiscoveredimpliessomethingwashidden;by
implicaonMITisclaimingthatourcompanyhaddeceivedormisinformedourauditorsand
clientsaboutourprocesses,whichisnotthecase.
Detailedexplanaonofourtriageprocessforprinters,andhowitappearstoexplainproper
movementofourdevices.
ThattheredoesnotappeartobeanyevidencethatceredcompanieslikeLiTongGroup,
whichpubliclyannouncedits$45Mrecyclingexpansion,engagesinchildlabororprimive
pracces(orinfactatanyoftheapparentlynonceredplacesonlmemploykids).
ThepublicaonofthestudyappearstoviolateMITethicsrulesforhumansubjects.
Themethodology,andpublicaon,appearaclearviolaonofprivacy.
TheNGO(BaselAconNetwork)doesnotappeartobeanunbiasedorreputableresearcher.
Thedierenceinthewaythedataandcoordinateshavebeendisclosedtorecyclersappears
correlatedtofundraisinganddonaonstotheNGO.
ThedistribuonofmaterialsprinterstoChina,CRTstoPakistan,etc,appearstodemonstrate
thatavoidedrecycling(i.e.,'wastedumping')isnotthedriveroftheshipments.Desnaonsare
notrandom,notexplainedbyavoideddisposalcostorshippingcosts,ortrackedtoscrapareas.

Themethodologyoftrackingcertaintypesofdevicesthosewithknown(andreputable)export
forrecyclingandrepairroutesandfailuretotrackheavydevices(projeconTVs,CRTTVs)
withoutsignicantexportdemand,preventsMITorBANfromdrawingaccurateconclusions
aboutpercentagesofUSAewasteexported.
Theapparentfailuretointerviewexpertsin,andsupportersof,exportsresultedinMIT
methodologybeingusedforaagrantlypolicalandunfairagenda.
Thelikelihoodthatcompanieswithshreddingequipmentwoulddamage/disabletheGPS
trackerspriortoexportbiasesthesampleagainstrepairorhanddisassemblyrecyclers.
InformaonaboutBAN(theNGO)whichwebelieveshowittobeanunsuitableresearchpartner
(e.g.theirsolicitaonofdonaonsfromtestsubjects,andfalseanddefamatorystatements
madeaboutUSAandoverseasreuseandrecyclingcompanies).
InformaonaboutBaselConvenon,AnnexIX,B1110whichexplicitlyallowsexportbothfor
recyclingandforrepair(butnotdisposal),andhowthatdiersfromBaselBanAmendment.

InourconclusionwerequestedthatMIT1)turnoveracopyofthedocumenttoMITsethicsboardfor
thirdpartyevaluaon,2)delivertousanyinformaonyoupossessaboutanyweareresponsiblefor,and
3)providetypes,agesandbrandsofalldevicestaggedinthestudy,andhowtheyweredamagedand
how(butnotwhereifinformaonisprivate)theyweredistributed.Wealsorecommendedyoucontact
theACLUtoseeklegaladviceaboutuseoftrackingdevicestogatherinformaonabouthumansubjects
andcommercewithoutpermission.Isuggestedthatameengwithourcompany,ourclients,andsome
ofouroverseasFairTradeRecyclingpartnersatyouroceswouldbefair,givingusachancetoprovide
answersalternavetothehypothesesandfaultygeneralizaonsputforwardbyBaselAconNetwork.

MITrepresentsithasdiscoveredsomethingthatwasntknownaboutequipmentmanagedbetweenmy
clients,staandsubcontractors.Wedonotseeanywaytointerpretthisexceptasanallegaonof
impropriety,dishonesty,orlackofdiligencebyourcompany.Thespeculaveassociaonwithchildlabor
isupseng,andmayhaveimportantimplicaonsforourcompany,ourclients,ouremployees,our
regulators,andpartnersoverseas.Ourcompanyhasnotmisrepresentedanythingaboutourprocesses,
ourdownstreampartners,etc.Thisstatementisalsomisleading"OnthegroundinvesgaonsinAsia
byBANproducedaclearerpictureofthesetraderoutes."ItlendsMITcredibilitytoancontroversial
organizaon,withoutanyapparentinvesgaonofthatorganizaonsclaims.

Myapologiesforthelengthandindeedsomeofthetoneintheaachedpaper,MyTrackedPrinter
Scrap,butIbelievethemeforcourtesywasbeforePBSwasgivenprivateinformaononhumantest
subjects.Inyourdefense,yoursisnottherstwellintenonedinstuontofollowthisNGOintoa
quagmireofbigotedstereotypesandnditselfdefendinggeneralizaonsandfallacies.

Sincerely,

RobinIngenthron
Cc:JamesFolleyJr.,JoshLepawsky,JoshGoldstein,JeCoyne,GeorgeHinkle