Congress Introduces "Agricultural Right to Repair Act"
New bill focuses on physical and digital aspects of agricultural repair. Also: Cory Doctorow on how Apple f**ked us on right to repair.
A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives this week would require manufacturers of agricultural equipment to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the tools and information they need to fix their own equipment.
The Agricultural Right to Repair Act is the latest effort to address the growing concerns of farmers and consumers about the increasing consolidation of the agricultural equipment industry and the increasing use of proprietary software and hardware that makes it difficult and expensive for farmers to repair their own equipment.
The bill requires manufacturers of farming equipment to provide sufficient information and tools for farmers to repair their own equipment, aiming to give farmers more flexibility in equipment repairs during critical times like harvest season. At its core, this bill seeks to strip manufacturers of their ability to employ digital locks and other technological barriers that effectively hold farmers and independent repair shops hostage.
Companies shift to quiet opposition
Whether a company says they “support repair” or not holds little significance. As Cory Doctorow wrote so plainly this week in his piece “Apple fucked us on right to repair,” he makes it clear that corporations are smart enough to back repair publicly and use dirty tricks to extract profit behind closed doors. We’re seeing it plainly in the arena of electronics with Apple, but it is equally true in agriculture.
The prime example of the agricultural equipment industry’s shallow committments on repair is the agreement that majority of the industry signed onto at the beginning of 2023, which agrees to provide farmers with access to software for equipment repairs. The MOU however doesn’t expressly grant farmers the same access to diagnostic hardware, software, and information as their authorized repair providers. The cherry on top is the line in the agreement where signatories can refrain from supporting any right to repair legislation, giving them an out if they don’t publicly support legislation like the Agricultural Right to Repair Act.
Standing is stark contrast to that tepid public support for repair was a recording of a John Deere dealer openly stating its support of anti-repair tactics. The short recording, which implies that the company might use software updates to eliminate aftermarket competition, goes strongly against the pro-repair image it’s trying to cultivate. And while this recording is not direct evidence of illegal behavior, legal experts suggest that such actions could raise serious antitrust concerns, highlighting the need for an agricultural repair laws.
It’s clear there is a need for the Agricultural Right to Repair Act, but there is no telling if it will get any further than its predecessors. Senator John Tester tried in early 2022 by introducing a similar bill - but it eventually died in committee, as more than 90 percent of all right to repair bills have across the country in the last eight years. This is especially difficult when Congress has split control between Democrats and Republicans. A glimmer of hope comes in the form of momentum at the state-level, where repair laws have started passing through legislatures in the past year and getting signed into law. There could be potential that the emerging precedent at the state level will translate into similar federal support.
Other News
Cory Doctorow writes about Apple’s hypocrisy of using tactics like engraving logos on parts and exploiting laws like DMCA 1201 to block independent repair even when it's legal, ultimately leading to mountains of e-waste and environmental harm, while publicly supporting repair efforts. Parts-pairing in Apple devices makes them effectively unrepairable, and although some states like California have passed right to repair bills, DMCA 1201 at the federal level remains a significant obstacle, highlighting the need for broader legislative changes.
Toyota is considering adopting a manufacturing technique called "gigacasting" to produce car chassis, similar to Teslas, which could reduce production complexity and costs but may raise concerns about repairability due to the potential difficulties in fixing cast unibodies, potentially aligning with carmakers' interest in selling new vehicles rather than maintaining old ones.
Carmakers are not immediately complying with a Massachusetts law requiring them to share vehicle data with independent repair shops due to concerns about potential hacking, despite the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reversing its earlier objections and allowing safe data sharing with independent shops using short-range wireless technology. In reversing course, NHTSA signaled that automakers might use Bluetooth wireless connections to comply with the letter of the Massachusetts law, but without raising vehicle safety questions. Automakers, represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said last week that the use of short range wireless connections is not practical and that it would abide by NHTSA’s prior guidance, not its updated guidance.
The U.S. Military can’t repair its F-35 Jets - VICE reports on the U.S. Military’s struggles to maintain its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, citing a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found F-35s are only available for missions about half the time, with the multi-billion dollar jets sitting in storage because they’re waiting on repair parts and service that is handled exclusively by manufacturers.
A third-party tool called nerd.tool.1 has been developed to help independent repair shops address a common issue with MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models related to the sleep sensor, bypassing the need for Apple's intervention. The tool, created by Notebook Nerds of Germany, recalibrates the replacement sensor and allows repair shops to fix the problem without relying on Apple's tools and part supplies.
Whirlpool cites repair as key to commitment to sustainable design - A profile of Whirlpool UK notes that the home appliance maker is making sustainability the focus of its product design, and that includes repairability. The company launched what it calls the ‘Sustainable Product playbook’ two years ago. It’s a work in progress, with guidance on sustainable design including the use of recycled materials, as well as water use efficiency. But Whirlpool is thinking about every stage from a circular economy point of view – including end of life, but also, for example, how easy it is to repair, added Whirlpool UK’s CEO, James Goldsmith told the website Sustainable Plastics.
Disposable vapes could face a potential ban in Ireland, with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly indicating support for such a measure due to concerns about their environmental impact. This is similar to bans being considered in the UK and France, with the broader possibility of banning disposable vapes under the Circular Economy Act.
The rapid growth of off-grid solar products in developing nations has improved access to electricity but also led to a significant issue of solar e-waste when these products, often with short lifespans, fail and are discarded.
K-washing is the term that K-pop fans have given to designer brands like Chanel, Celine, Saint Laurent, and Dior of "K-washing," alleging that they are failing to fulfill their sustainability promises and using Korean artists as ambassadors to greenwash their products, despite the ambassadors' climate advocacy efforts; the campaign is calling on these brands to increase transparency in their supply chains and use renewable energy.
A ‘Bad Apple’ Week
Apple’s has come under fire for its new iPhone 15. Among other things, the new phone was deemed a “repair nightmare.” A teardown by iFixit found Apple’s use of digital locks and parts pairing schemes to prevent the simple replacement of otherwise easily replaceable parts.
There was also criticism of Apple’s new FineWoven iPhone 15 cases, which the company says were designed with the “earth in mind [sic] made from 68 percent post-consumer recycled content” but received criticism for being easily marked by fingernails and other pocket items, with marks that don't self-heal or rub off.
There were (sarcastic) sighs of relief that “the new iPhones and Apple Watches are compatible with the $19 Polishing Cloth Apple launched in 2021. After all, you bought the cloth as soon as Apple announced it, and you know all about planned obsolescence. Did you waste 19 bucks two years ago?”Apple is also addressing iPhone 14 battery capacity complaints by allowing iPhone 15 users to set a maximum charge limit at 80% to prolong battery life, while also providing more detailed information about battery health, such as manufacturing date and full charge cycles, to help users monitor and understand their battery's condition; these features may also impact the secondhand market for iPhones by providing potential buyers with better insight into a device's battery health and history.
New Book Recommendations
Oliver Franklin-Wallis highlights of global waste issues in his new book "Wasteland: The Secret World of Waste and the Urgent Search for a Cleaner Future" by the export of waste from wealthier to poorer countries, the environmental toll of waste production, and the need for government regulation and consumer awareness in addressing these challenges.
Fashion journalist Alyssa Hardy discusses her book "Worn Out: How Our Clothes Cover Up Fashion’s Sins," emphasizing the need to appreciate fashion while being critical of an industry that often exploits labor, generates waste, and contributes to climate change; she also explores the conflicts of interest in fashion journalism and the complex relationship between fashion publications and the industry.