Cap Your Computing Emissions

Did you know? A desktop computer runs on as much as 250 watts while one Google search (and there are around five billion a month) uses about 1 kJ of energy and emits about 0.2 grams of carbon, thanks mainly to the energy used to run servers and keep server rooms cool. As Emily Kunz Purser, Green IT coordinator at the University of Waterloo says, “computers are often overlooked—it’s not like they have a smokestack coming out of them.” But it turns out our digital dependence–not just the computer itself–requires a big energy supply to sustain. It’s no longer just the end of a computer’s life that raises concerns (what with used computer and printer cartridges becoming toxic junk when shipped overseas, exposing recyclers to lead and mercury), the energy from using computers can have lasting effects on the planet by contributing to global warming and increasing our overall (and finite) resource use.

All this before mentioning that the paper we print on might be made from irreplaceable ancient and old growth forests. So what can you do? Try these strategies for keeping your electronic waste to a minimum:

1) Use power management settings

Check your manual to find out how to make your monitor, hard drive and system to go to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. (Don’t use screen savers — they don’t save energy and sometimes use more.) So-called power management settings can save more than 600 kWh of energy and half a tonne of carbon emissions a year. Plus, shut down every night. This used to be a no-no for older models, but is safe and a big energy saver for today’s computers.

2) Get a laptop

While desktops chew up  between 60 and 250 watts, laptops use between 15 and 45 watts.

3) Replace your monitor

Older style CRT monitors suck about 80 watts of energy —Kunz Purser says they can also give you headaches if you’re at them all day — while newer definition LCD monitors need 35 watts of power.

4) Love Energy Star

Monitors with the Energy Star logo can save as much as 426 kwH a year while certified computers save about 135 KwH a year.

5) Print smart

Using both sides of the paper and printing only when you really need to saves paper and ink. To further cut back, Kunz Purser suggests downloading Ecofont, which uses 20 percent less ink than regular fonts. Also, ignore your printer when it says you’re out of ink — wait to change it until you’ve actually run out.

6) Go inkjet

Inkjet printers may use as much as 90 percent less energy than lasers. If you are buying a printer, don’t go for a $30 cheapie. “They’re so cheap, they’re meant to be disposable, so there’s a problem of waste from those printers,” says Kunz Purser.

7) Fight phantom power

Everything from your printer to your desktop to your laptop recharger suck up energy in standby mode— a desktop uses about 2.8 watts when off. Plug everything into power bars and snap them off when you leave your desk.

8) Purge

Your e-mails, documents, music and photo files require energy to be stored on your hard drive or a remote server. Erase what you no longer need and archive important older stuff on disks.

9) Toss with care

Instead of kicking your old electronics and printer cartridges to the curb, take them back to the manufacturer, retailer or find them a safe home at dowhatyoucan.ca. Better still: purchase new equipment made with as little mercury and other toxic ingredients as possible. Even better still: if your computer gear works fine and is energy efficient, use it just a little bit longer.