Buying E Green

I just wrote about buying green, and then today found this great post on TreeHugger. It's so in line with what I'm into that I don't need to paraphrase or reword; I'll just copy:
"Working from the idea that electronics are both ubiquitous and helpful in our everyday lives, they don't want you to quit using them (and certainly don't want you to just throw them away); myGreenElectronics hopes to help you learn more about minimizing the environmental impact of these gadgets and toys through responsible use, reuse and recycling. They've also added a fourth "R" to the common Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra that gets bandied about these pages: Rethink, and we think that's a biggie. By considering the environment before you ever go shopping, and then finding electronics and accessories that use less energy, are made with recyclable and recycled materials and are easier to upgrade, fix and recycle, you make it easier on yourself, your energy bill, your conscience and your planet."

I love the 4th R: Rethink. In fact, it should be the 1st R.

For more e-recycling ideas and information, including where to take your used electronics, go to the EPA Plug-In to eCycling pages.

PC Energy Use

I wrote before about a few ways to measure your energy usage. One user that you probably haven't thought too much about is the very thing you're looking at right now - your computer. Many people leave their PC powered up, on screen saver, when not in use. Multiply that usage by the number of computers in the US or world, and you're talking a huge amount of electricity. TreeHugger has been talking a bit about it lately, and in the post you'll find a link to a nice little energy calculator that will let you know how much you're expending.

2 Suggestions: power down when not in use, and set the monitor to turn itself off instead of going to screen saver.