Going Green, or Environmentally Friendly, is all the rage now. It’s more than a little late but in some things, late is better than never. As our lives become more and more digital, being green becomes increasingly difficult, especially when you’re unaware of how big your energy footprint really is.
About 80% of U.S. homes now have a personal computer. Extract homes of U.S. military families and the percentage would probably increase, perhaps substantially since most of our deployment communication is made possible through personal computers (email, Skype, etc.). With communication in mind, my guess is that most military families keep their computers powered on indefinitely, especially since broadband and DSL make online access effortless. All of this translates into a rather large energy footprint.
My husband recently forwarded a notice he received from the Network Enterprise Center Team (aka. Computer Guys for the Army).
“Did you know that your computer uses an average of 134 watts of power
continuously when you leave it on at night and weekends? By simply turning
your computer off it will use 73 percent less energy – saving the government
~$119 a year and depriving the earth of 1,405 pounds of CO2. Turn off your
screen, printer, and other peripherals that the saving compound.”
These figures represent the savings when only one computer is powered down at night and on weekends. How much more impact when multiplied by the thousands!
So families, do your part for the environment and power down your equipment when not in use. Your great, great grandchildren will thank you!
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“Tech Tuesday” is published every Tuesday. To reach Tracy with comments or questions, email her here.
