How Green Is Your Computer Usage?
Aug 17, 2007 Eco Friendly Home
Most families these days would have a hard time getting by without a computer. They allow people like me to work from home, make doing research for homework easier, make typing homework assignments easier for kids, and there are plenty of fun games to be played on the computer.
But they aren’t exactly the greenest machine in the house in a lot of ways.
You’ll probably enjoy today’s post over on EcoGeek about helping your computer waste less electricity. It’s a good read.
He says computers draw about 100 watts when they’re on, more as you use them. This means you need to learn to do what you can to limit the waste.
Computers these days can cope better with being turned off regularly than they used to. So if you aren’t going to be using your computer for a time turn it off. Monitor too.
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So Many Recalls
Aug 16, 2007 Eco Friendly Home, Eco Friendly Parenting, Environmental News
There’s a lot of talk right now about all the toy recalls going on. It really is amazing that so many unsafe toys are still being made.
I was watching my local news broadcast a story on this. They showed a toy executive talking a bit about why they make toys overseas. Lots of hedging of course, and avoiding admitting that it’s mostly a cost cutting measure. Apparently a toy that costs $1 to make overseas costs about $8 to make in the United States.
But I honestly don’t understand why anyone thinks it’s okay to use lead in paint, especially on toys. As noted on the Green Options blog, the damaging effects of lead have been know since about 100 BC. And it’s not exactly arcane knowledge. I don’t think anyone I know isn’t aware of that these days.
To me, the big question is why would anyone use lead in paint, anywhere? It’s not just that it’s making it here, it’s that it’s apparently so easy to use in places such as China, despite that the effects are so well known. I wish more countries wouldn’t let manufacturers use so harmful a chemical so easily. It’s not good for anyone.
I’m feeling quite fortunate right now that none of the toys my kids have are impacted by this recall.
Technorati Tags: toy recall, lead paint
Would You Pay a Green Energy Tariff?
Aug 16, 2007 Environmental News, Sponsored Posts
This is an interesting idea. British Gas is offering a zero carbon green energy tariff. The tariff goes toward Kyoto compliant offset schemes.
I am of course a fan of green energy. I love watching all the potential green energy sources being developed. Programs like this encourage more investment in green sources. It seems pretty interesting to me.
Of course, since this program is in the UK, I know little more about the company that what can be seen on the site. But I like seeing what they’re working on to give people options to include more green energy in their lives.
Press Release:
BRITISH GAS LAUNCHES GREENEST ENERGY TARIFF
9 August 2007: British Gas has announced it is launching two new green energy tariffs, Zero Carbon, which will be the greenest tariff available on the domestic market and Future Energy. British Gas has launched the tariffs, in response to the increasing demand for green energy products.
Householders signing up to the Zero Carbon tariff will:
• reduce their household energy carbon emissions to zero through Kyoto compliant offset schemes which will meet the new Defra requirements
• help fund a direct increase in investment in renewable energy generated in the UK
• contribute to the new British Gas green fund which will:
o invest in developing new renewable technologies such as wave power
o oversee a programme to help schools in the UK reduce their CO2 emissions
Gearóid Lane, Managing Director British Gas New Energy said,”Our new tariff responds to consumer demand for truly green energy solutions. It is essential that customers have confidence in green energy tariffs and that their credibility is not damaged by tariffs that claim to be green but in reality do not deliver any incremental environmental benefits. Green tariffs are moving from niche to mainstream products and we’re leading the industry by offering a tariff that will do more for the environment than any other product currently available.”
Under the government’s Renewables Obligation (RO), electricity suppliers in the UK are already required to produce an increasing percentage of their electricity through methods such as wind farms which, unlike traditional power plants, produce zero carbon emissions. For 2007/2008 this figure is set at 7.9%.
In a recent report, the National Consumer Council (NCC) raised concerns that some energy suppliers are packaging electricity which is produced under the RO scheme as “green”, yet it delivers no additional environmental benefits. The NCC called on energy suppliers to take steps beyond their legal requirements and offer green energy tariffs that provide genuine additional environmental benefits, in particular CO2 emissions reduction.
British Gas worked with Global Action Plan and The Climate Group’s “We’re in this Together” campaign to develop Zero Carbon which goes further than any other green tariff in meeting these requirements offering consumers the only zero carbon option on the market.
The tariff carries a premium of £84 per year, reflecting the higher cost of producing energy through lower carbon emission schemes.
Virginia Graham, Chair of Global Action Plan, said, “The British Gas Zero Carbon tariff delivers on all three of the essential requirements of a green tariff which are: additionality, transparency and verifiability. As such it is a very welcome new offering in the market. Consumers signing up to the tariff can be confident that they are getting 12 per cent more renewable energy than they would otherwise have got. The carbon emissions from their electricity and gas will also be offset with emissions reductions from projects accredited by the United Nations.”
Zero Carbon is one of the first initiatives launched through the ‘We’re in this Together’ campaign, which was launched in April 07 as an alliance of some of the UK’s biggest brands who are all working to help their customers reduce their impact on the climate.
Dr Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group and founder of ‘We’re in this Together’ said, “We’re committed to offering people ways to make a real impact on climate change through Together.com. We’ve worked with British Gas to ensure that Zero Carbon is a genuine step forward in delivering more environmental benefits than any other tariff currently available.”
British Gas’s second green energy tariff, Future Energy, offers an alternative green electricity tariff at a premium of just £20 per year. Customers signing up to this tariff will contribute to a green fund which will provide solar panels and other renewable energy technologies to UK schools. Money from the fund will also be invested in development of future renewable technologies and sources.
To sign up customers can call British Gas on 0845 604 0055 or visit www.britishgas.co.uk
Wordless Wednesday – Grandpa’s Breakfast Nook
Aug 15, 2007 Going Green
Technorati Tags: wordless wednesday
Back to School in Green
Aug 14, 2007 Budget Environmentalism, Eco Friendly Parenting, Going Green
Yes, I am thinking a lot about back to school. It started with wondering how on earth I’m going to come up with good lunches for my picky daughter (leading to my new interest in Laptop Lunches and other reusable lunch bags), but I do have to get other things for my daughter too.
No backpack, though. Her one from last year is just fine. She still loves it and it’s in great condition.
Office Depot offers an entire Buy Green section on their site. I’m rather fond of them since I don’t have a car available to me when my husband’s at work and they deliver for free on orders over $50. If you’ve every had to buy printer ink, you know how easy that is to reach. And they do have printer cartridge recycling available too, although I think you have to go in store for that.
I think sometimes they use the AP nontoxic certification to mean green, at least with crayons and markers, rather than any sort of more clearly green standard. I could wish for a more clear standard on these things, or maybe the soybean crayons I hear Prang makes.
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