Technology

Designed by Malcolm Coxall

1001 Ways to Save the World

Free to read, free to reproduce

· General
· Benefits
· Restraint in Use
· Reducing Consumables
· Reducing Energy
· Dispoal of hardware

Use Electronic communications rather than Paper

Tip 1000	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
Avoid paper communications - use email/telephone	If you are sitting in front of a PC anyway (as part of your work or at home), you may as well mitigate the energy you are using and use the PC to save some paper and postage.	What: Personal comms, business comms can all be done electronically. Cancel all circulars, get e-bills for everything. This is, however, only greener when there is a PC switched on and its also rather impersonal for letters to friends and family...... but there are lots of paperless opportunities. How: Change your bank accounts to use the internet and stop bank, mobile statements coming by conventional mail, likewise your credit card. Good for impersonal business transactions use the internet.	Green: Easy:

Leave the mobile at home

Tip 1001	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
Leave the mobile at home, do you really really need to be contactable	Mobile phones are bad news for your health although we don't know how bad just yet, but they are also bad for the environment (masts etc). Mobiles are expensive to use, and mostly unnecessary unless you are on call. Why not try to retake your private life and simultaneously stop annoying everyone around you, and spaying us all with microwave radiation.	What: lets face it…. Unless you are on call, you don’t need to be in constant contact with anyone, so get a life and just leave it at home. Yes, it makes you feel important and gives you something to nervously fiddle with when you're waiting for someone, but why not try a newspaper or a book How: Just leave it at home and enjoy the liberation!	Green: Easy:

Buy Recycled Printer Paper

Tip 1002	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
Printers are so cheap these days, we print much more than we really need to, for business and for fun. At least use recycled paper to reduce the wastefulness of all this printing.	Virgin paper costs trees, uses bleaches to produce and is energy intensive in production. The Recycle industry needs our support on this!	What: The best solution is just DON`T PRINT but if you have to then at least use Recycled printer paper. Lets face it, most of what you print ends in the bin within a day. Shame to kill trees for a days use of a few sheets of paper. How: Recycled paper is readily available. Some is very white, some not so (using less chemicals in recycle). Just buy it.	Green: Easy:

Use Recycled Printer cartridges

Tip 1003	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
Use recycled printer cartridges or refill your own-	An average domestic printe costs between €50 and €100, but the ribbons cost around €45 every few weeks. Worse the packaging and electronics in the cartridges contain plastics, and heavy metals that are simply chucked away everytime you change. Costs a fortune!	What: The printer manufacturers have nicely manufactured a long term income stream by forcing us to throw away the main electronic component in our printers every few weeks- This may be good "economics" for the manufacturer but it is an environmental disaster and a costly form of dependency on the manufacturer! How: Recycled and Refillable cartidges exist aplenty. Check them out and maybe change printer to use an easil refillable cartridge-	Green: Easy:

Switch it off when you aren't using it

Tip 1004	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
If you arent using your PC or printer, switch it off	The energy wasted by PCs sitting switched on without veing used is now comparable with low cost air travel. Apart from any of that, security risks of leaving PCs connected to the internet are a definate reason for switching off.	What: The intenet concept of "on all the time" has made people think they need to leave their PCs and printers on all the time.... even when they are asleep. This is a behaviour bordering on madness. It costs energy, and money, gains nothing and is detroying our planet. How: One: When you go to bed, switch everything off...... Two: When you leave the office, switch it all off. Three: Only switch the printer on when you are going to print something... the exercise will do you good......	Green: Easy:

Use Energy saving Modes for PC and Monitor

Tip 1005	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
Make sure your PC is set in energy saving mode	A simple change of your PC energy settings can save a lot of energy and increase the life of your PC and monitor.... also good for the environment. Saves money on energy too. Takes 2 minutes and with an average PC you save between €150 and €400 per year.	What: Wasting your Pc's life is bad economics and bad energy usage. Microsoft, mac and Linux all have energy saving options...... use them. How: Settings >Control Panel>Power Options Just do it	Green: Easy:

Read the News on the Internet if you happen to be connected

Tip 1006	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
IF connected to the Internet, read the newspaper on the internet rather than buying one	If you are often connected to the internet, then take advantage of the fact and read the paper on the internet rather than buying one. This saves paper, ink and energy. Remember the newspaper gets paid for every "hit" by its advertisers, so you aren't hurting the newspaper.	What: No reason to go and get an ADSL connection but if you are using the internet, why not skip the daily paper and read it here How: Most daily papers globally have a decent internet presence.....whatever you think about their content!	Green: Easy:

Tip 1007	Why do it?	Do What? and How?	Is it Easy? Is it Green?
When its dead, its at its most dangerous..... the PC and the mobile, the printer and all the other IT and Hi Tech crap we surround ourselves with.	Hi-tech junk is full of heavy metals, PCBs, steel, plastics and indeed, gold as well.	What: BUT, be seriously careful in disposing of it. Never dump it, never burn it. How: Bring PCs/Printers or mobiles to an authorised recycle center. If its your PC bring it to your PC dealer, they are obliged to accept it (in the EU)	Green: Easy:

Dispose of your PC and mobile carefully

Technology