Realities and Myths of Green Computing

The green revolution has taken the world by storm and being ecologically friendly is now a very big business. Computer technology has evolved significantly as a result, with dozens of companies now touting low energy, environmentally friendly alternatives to the power hungry devices of years past. One thing being lost in the midst of this cacophony of sales pitches however, is the fact that new, ecologically friendly computers can actually be more harmful to the environment and cost more energy than their old, used, predecessors.


Myth 1: Being ‘Paperless’ Means Being Green


Reality: This is perhaps the most widespread myth that most people fail to comprehend. The term ‘paperless office’ was used with the advent of web-centric offices and it was believed that by dumping physical use of paper, businesses and people were actually making a contribution to the cause of the environment. Folks who are harping about the paper-free advantages of the computing environment fail to realize that in the current scenario, the use of computers is actually increasing the demands on the ecosystem.


The reason lies in the increasing energy demands that are being created due to computerized environments. To a normal PC user, it isn't very apparent, but the fact is that PCs tend to heat-up the environment in a workplace. As a result, more energy-sapping solutions are being sought in the form of installations such as heaving air-conditioning devices at workplaces. 
Alternatives


There are simple methods of developing a PC environment that actually reduces the consumption of power and is greener:
• Purchase computers that are Energy Star–compliant — this is just one of the many certifications that can differentiate authentic, low power-consuming systems from the rest
• Use flat-screen monitors that use substantially lesser energy than CRTs. Similarly, laptop models are known to use lesser energy than the conventional desktop models
• Use darker backgrounds on the screen as they use slightly lesser power than brighter displays
• Try to read/review documents and e-mails rather than printing them


Myth 2: You Have To Buy New To Be Green


Perhaps the absolute most valuable thing a person can do to make their computer more energy efficient is to simply turn it off. The days where it was said to leave the computer on at night have passed and the vast majority of computer technicians now say to turn a computer off when not in use. At the very least, a user should set the power management settings to allow the computer to go into the low power sleep mode after twenty or thirty minutes of inactivity. Another incredibly simple way to save energy is to simply turn off the power bar after turning off the computer. Most computers, monitors, printers, and other devices still draw small amounts of power even when turned off. Either turn off the master switch or purchase an energy aware power strip.

Reference:

Preetam Kaushik( Oct. 6, 2009) Myths and Realities of Green Computing retrieved April 21, 2010 from http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/31882.aspx

CCiswell (May 21, 2008) Green Computing: Myths and Realities retrieved April 21, 2010 from http://www.lestout.com/article/news-society/the-green-channel/green-computer-myths-and-realities.html


Nancy Weil (August 3,2007) The realities of green computing from PC World