Green Computing

The computers we all use day in and day out are huge energy wasters, unless we know how to manage them responsibly.  Using sleep mode, avoiding screensavers, and remembering to always shut down your computer when you aren’t using it for an extended period of time, are all small actions that have big benefits. 

 

The University of Vermont reports that if 8,000 computer users activated sleep mode on a regular basis, there would be a total savings of 1.6 million kWh per year.  This is equivalent to blocking the annual emissions of 150 cars, or planting 367 acres of trees.  Sleep mode does no damage to your computer; it simply turns off your monitor after a period of inactivity.  Pressing a key or clicking the mouse reactivates the monitor.  Additionally, screensavers do not save energy, contrary to popular myth.  In fact, graphically complex screensavers can actually use twice as much energy as the computer would use without a screensaver.  And don’t forget to turn your computer off when you aren’t returning to it soon!  A desktop computer left on for a full year would release 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, says the Harvard Green Campus Initiative.  It would take up to 500 trees to offset that amount of carbon.   Just by changing your computing habits, you can save significantly on pollution and energy costs.