Earth Day’s coming up! Thanks to our friends from Retrevo for sharing these energy-saving tips.
1. Turn off devices when you’re not using them – especially game consoles and TVs.
Large plasma TVs are the biggest hogs but game machines are a close second. Shutting down game players in the U.S. for just 24 hours would save enough energy to power the city of San Diego for a day.
2. Make sure they’re really off – use a power strip and flip the switch.
Many products draw power after they’re turned off. If the charger in the wall socket is warm it’s likely sucking power. Use a power strip and shut it down to insure gadgets are really off.
3. If you’re going to leave your computer on, at least set them to Hibernate or Standby.
Energy Star says the PC’s Hibernate or Standby mode can save up to $75 a year in electricity. And, don’t be fooled by screen savers – they’re no help at all.
4. Unplug the gadgets you only use occasionally.
If you only use them once in a while – fax machines, or peripherals attached to your computer such as USB hard drives for backup – unplugging guarantees they’re off.
5. Use renewable energy to recharge small devices like iPods, cell phones and GPS.
Inexpensive devices like the Hymini wind turbine, Solio’s Hybrid 1000, Freeplay Freecharge, or Kinesis Industries combo are easy to use and get your gadgets going in minutes.
Retrevo even came up with a “Survival Guide to Greener Living with Electronics“. Check it out!
Easter’s nearly upon us all–have you decided yet how you’re going to decorate your Easter eggs? How about dyeing them green this year? Jaclyn Gallucci of the Long Island Press sacrificed her skin and her orderly surroundings to come up with eco-friendly ways to dye Easter eggs–and the results are fantastic. The picture you see on the left was dyed using patterned silk fabric wrapped around each egg and boiled with water and a bit of vinegar. The design is then transferred to the egg. Just look around your house for any old, worn-out silken materials that you can use.