For the millions upon billions of you with cable television or satellite television, the switch to digital won't have much affect. Well, except on your wallet, of course, because you can bet the cable companies will greedily collect "additional cable services" fees from those of you who wish to keep your analog TVs.

I don't have cable, nor will I get it. I just don't care about TV that much (real life is better, folks). So...this means, come Feb. 17, if I do want to watch network television on any of the old, analog TV sets in my house, I'm S.O.L.

I can purchase a "converter box" which is going to cost me anywhere from $20 to $40 (that's taking into account the two coupons I've already applied for from the federal government). That takes care of two TVs, but what about the old one in the garage I've had since I was 16 that we sometimes watch football games on? What about the little TV in my husband's workshop? They will be rendered completely useless because I'm not going to spend $50 on a converter box for them.

Where will they -- and all the others go?

According to the New American Dream's most recent e-newsletter it's likely they'll end up in contaminating our earth in some third-world country (or, hell, the landfill up the road in Summit). See it here.

What should be done?

The very least we can do is force electronics manufacturers (who stand to make lots and lots and lots of money off this digital switch) to take some responsibility and take our old TVs back and recycle them responsibly.

New American Dream says it well, here:

"With a potentially huge increase in discarded televisions, now more than ever we need free and convenient recycling for e-waste. Some manufacturers, like Sony, have STEPPED UP and are offering free recycling programs.

Panasonic, Philips, and Sharp, however, have NOT established take back programs; they actively lobby against state legislation that would require them to do so, and have been slackers when it comes to substituting environmentally responsible materials in their products."

What can you do?

Fill out this online petition at Take Back My TV to ask other major television manufacturers to offer TV recycling programs. The campaign is part of the Electronics Take Back Coalition, which advocates for green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry.

What's absolutely unbelievably upsetting about this whole thing is that it's all about television -- a completely stupid reason (as if there's a good one) to destroy our environment.