Ways to Use Computers to Protect the Environment

It is hard to imagine modern life without computers, 



even for the most environmentally conscious person. 


While it's obvious that computers use energy to function, 


are there some ways in which smart computer usage can actually lower a person's impact on the environment? Yes. It's just a matter of using the computer intelligently and in moderation.


Go Paperless
Printing every document sent to you not only uses up paper, but also ink and energy. Instead of printing documents and filing them, try saving receipts and e-mails to your hard drive using a PDF printer. This not only helps the environment, but can often be a lot easier to keep track of than paper documents. Linux- and Mac-based systems come with this option by default; Windows users can install a free program called PDFCreator.



No Screen Saver
Screen savers are mostly an outdated concept --- few modern monitors will "burn" anymore. If your computer is set to use a screen saver, it is using electricity unnecessarily. Consider instead setting your computer monitor to turn off after a set period of time. This easily can be done in the same window where you configure your screen saver.


Turn It Off
You don't need your computer on all the time. When you're not using it, turn it off. Don't want to close all your programs? Suspend the computer instead, which keeps everything open without the power usage. In Windows this is done by clicking "Start," then "Shut Down," then "Suspend." Most laptops will suspend if you close the lid.


Use a Flash Drive
Blank CDs are a cheap and easy way to move data, but are largely disposable. If you need to move files from one computer to anther without using a network, consider using a flash drive or external hard drive instead of disposable CDs. If you still prefer CDs, consider buying re-writable dics. Reusing is always a good idea if you care about the environment.


Fix Your Old Computer
Think it is time to buy a new computer? Think again. Many computers, particularly those running Microsoft Windows, get slower as time goes on --- but that has more to do with software than hardware. Simply reinstalling the operating system can give what seems like an old, slow computer a new lease on life. Still not fast enough? Installing more RAM is cheap, impacts the environment less and might be all you need. Try this before buying a new computer, which unnecessarily uses up resources and energy, not to mention your money.