Greener less toxic computers and computing tips

A new computer for back to school. Do or don't? In tech purchasing, as in nearly everything these days, it's possible to spend your pennies more wisely for your sake and the planet's, now that companies are being vetted for energy efficiency and reduced pollutants. On the other hand, given the hazardous e-waste released by improper "recycling" (read, dumping) of 50-80% of our e-waste abroad, you might want to hold onto your old machine, upgrading its memory (and saving your money) for as long as possible.

If you really want or need to buy new, ask the company if they'll take your old machine for free recycling.
In a nutshell, here's what to look for new, and what to avoid:

Choose It: Energy Star computers with least toxic contents

Lose It: Computers that waste energy and contain hazardous chemicals

Did You Know? If all computers sold in the U.S. met the U.S. EPA Energy Star standards, we’d save about $2 billion in electricity each year, and reduce as many greenhouse gases as taking 2 million cars off the road.
Toxic brominated fire retardants (BFRs)can migrate out of computers [casings] into house dust, according to a 2004 Environmental Working Group study. Learn about other hazardous chemicals in computers from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

4 things to demand from a new green computer:

* It should be energy efficient/ Energy Star compliant.For lists of Energy Star desktops and laptops, click here.
* It should minimize the use of hazardous chemicals. The Environmental Working Group has a list of PDBE-free (toxic fire retardants) computers with links to manufacturers’ websites, while Greenpeace (below)also examines PVC, arsenic, lead and other toxic components.
* Its maker should have a responsible takeback/ recycling program
* The company should be significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
* The company should receive a high rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and from Greenpeace's annual electronics guide (see below).

Here are the computer companies who scored among the top ten greenest in Greenpeace’s most recent, 2010 Guide to Greener Electronics.

1. Nokia
2. Sony Ericsson
3. Philips
4. HP
5. Samsung
6. Motorola, Panasonic and Sony in 3-way tie
9. Apple
10. Dell

For the details, see Greenpeace's rankings page.

If your student can wait till Xmas, or better yet, the post-Xmas sales, Greenpeace's new guide comes out in November 2011 and I'll keep you posted.

Old or New: Energy saving tips

Whether you keep chugging along with your old computer or buy a new one, you can always improve on its performance and your energy savings by smart usage.

*Use your machine's built-in power-saving features. To learn what they are, how to activate them, and calculate how much you would save, check out the EPA IT Calculator and other tools featured on the Climate Savers Computing website.

Turn off your computer and the power strip when it's not in use. See more tips from the EPA.

If you turn off your PC when it's not in use, you can save 188 kilograms of CO2 and 437 kilowatt hours (kwh)a year. Significant savings, with the average national cost of a kwh topping 12 cents in 2011.

Finding more products



Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to my free monthly e- newsletter by emailing GreenerPenny@gmail.com. And, for Choose It/ Lose It lists with brand names in everything from cookware to cosmetics, see my book, Do One Green Thing. Thanks!

Top Green Holiday Gifts 2009

Green Gifts, Carbon Footprints and All

Buy local, or not? It’s the holidays, right, so anything goes? Not quite. Every product has a carbon footprint, that is, the carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, released by the burning of fossil fuels used to manufacture and transport it. Some manufacturers are trying to measure and reduce the carbon footprints of a bevy of products, from food to electronics to fashion with the help of new labels being developed by the UK’s Carbon Trust.

When you can, buy locally made goods to give to those who live near you. Deal face to face, smile to smile, be an engaged and integral part of your local economy. Then, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in a local shop, feel free to order online.

Now for the goods.

Culture’s the ticket: No matter where you live, you can give tickets to concerts, plays or services in your recipient’s local. No shipping, no fuel miles. We gave our son and his girlfriend tickets to “Wolves at the Window,” a production of Brits Off Broadway within walking distance of their New York apartment. They not only went, but loved it, and asked for more!

Alternate Ashtanga: Gifts of yoga classes keep on giving, and yoga studios are trending green. In Honolulu, Diamond Head Yoga, founded by surfer Randall Poulson, uses energy efficient LED lighting and recycled hardwood floors. Find a low-impact teacher and venue near someone you love at GreenYoga.org.

“I encourage students to bring their own mats, which cuts down on spreading germs,” says Poulson, and we agree. We’re partial to Think Sport’s thick new PVC and polycarbonate mats. They’re PVC and polycarbonate free, so no phthalates or Bisphenol-A. Same with these other eco mats. Think ecoyopi, or for Pilates, too.

Help your significant other get core strength (and flat abs) with lessons from a certified Pilates instructor. To find a studio near you, go to Pilates Studio Search.
In my case, the slopes of Diamond Head, or Leahi (forehead of a tuna) also house a great Pilates place, Aware Aligned Awake, founded by another surfer, Cristal Mortensen.

Speaking of surfing, it’s chilly, even in Hawaii, when the north wind blows! For the oceangoer on your list, consider a warm-up cap made of a sustainable fiber. An organic cotton cap and tote bag are included when you give a $44 membership in the non-profit Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting water quality and conserving natural beaches and waves. Or check out the organic cotton, wool or recycled poly caps by Patagonia.

Speaking of Patagonia, their Footprints Chronicles are a fun way to comparison shop based on the carbon and energy consumed by their products, say, Mongolian cashmere vs. recycled poly fleece. Watch your back:

Electronics, or rather, Computers? Think takeback, nontoxic and read this for what to do.

Tech gadgets: Give Memory: Photos are nice, especially when the albums are stored on tiny flash drives, or memory sticks. I want one for each writing project! Smart power strips are a great way to save energy.

Green Books:

*One of my favorite practical guidebooks for protecting children from unnecessary toxic exposures is now out in paperback. Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, by Christopher Gavigan for HealthyChild.org. It includes advice from witty, down-to-earth pediatrician and author Harvey Karp, and reminiscences from Tobey Maguire, Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hanks and others.
*Of course, you can’t go wrong with Al Gore’s new book, Our Choice, of which 100% of the profits go to the Alliance for Climate Protection.
*Buy Fred Krupp’s and Miriam Horn’s LastStop Earth from the Environmental Defense Fund’s book store, and help benefit this non-profit.
*The Surfrider Foundation and landscaping expert Douglas Kent collaborated on Ocean Friendly Gardens: A How-To Gardening Guide to Help Restore a Healthy Coast and Ocean. This manual details ways to create water-conserving landscape designs and irrigation, while preventing runoff that deadens our marine environments. Order through Surfrider.
*Budding citizen journalists should read Elizabeth Royte’s Garbage Land and Bottlemania before they ride along to the source of trouble, and, to deepen their analysis of media, her The Tapir’s Morning Bath. See Royte’s blog

Speaking of bottles, make this the season you give everyone on your list a reusable water bottle that’s PVC and BPA-free.

Tote bottles and who knows what in a cute recycled bag from Olive and Myrtle, which also has fresh-looking recycled paper journals, plus traditional toys, and more.

Bicycles: The latest are commute-and-carry haulers, some with buckets. See my article in E. Magazine.

Personal Care: Go gentle on yourself, and support rainforest communities, with
Alba Botanica’s Rainforest Rescue containing Andiroba and Brazil Nut Oil from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forestlands. The Body Shop carries FSC-certified foot files and nail brushes. Eco elegant! For travel, we love l’Occitane’s little tins of pure shea butter, fairly traded, and their certified organic lavender body lotion. For both fairly traded and organic soaps, give Dr. Bronner’s. For plenty more delectable, phthalate and paraben free cosmetics, see my list.


Apparel:

The most sustainable clothing fiber, even greener than organic cotton, is something post-consumer-recycled. And it doesn’t have to be from Goodwill, although their designer wares are as chic as any. Look for local designers who make new designs from old materials, like 1979, whose Made in Hawaii tops and frocks use soft, faded material from vintage men’s aloha shirts. Or Soozou, which makes beach bags and totes from used sails. Timberland’s Earthkeeper line, with those tags giving the carbon footprint of the item, looks pretty irresistible for someone with a weakness for boots.
Moving on…

Jewelry: In an era of conflict diamonds, the mindful consumer will seek out jewelry that’s ethically sourced as well as free of the taint of ecosystems destroyed by arsenic from gold mining. No such problem with Meesah’s earrings and bangles made of repurposed fishing lines or Bakelite fragments! For more ideas see The Green Guide’s jewelry guide.

Edibles: My Dad always says he wants nothing more for Xmas than good health and a package of fresh-baked cookies from Dancing Deer. The latter I can give him. After all, it’s only once a year! For the rest, buy from your local farmers, who will be happy to fill your gift baskets with fresh selections. Find them by entering your zip code at Local Harvest .

The cook will welcome something earthy and authentic, like an unglazed soapstone pot from Vermont, Vermontstonegifts.com, or a terracotta tagine, from tagines.com

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Oh, and you can preorder my book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth through Simple, Everyday Choices, for delivery in March, here.

Happy Holidays, one and all!