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3 Easy Green IT Tips

 Why Do Something?

Computing and IT, including telephones, iPad and and many everyday IT devices connecting to the internet, are  the fastest growing users of electricity. This demand on electricity continues to climb, wit

h data centres (buildings with physical computers that hold the cloud for our online life eg banking, google, facebook, buying etc) growing between 12% and 19% annually.

3 Easy Green Computing Tips

There are some really easy things you can do to be more energy efficient and environmentally conscious when using your computer.

1. Turn off your equipment or set it to go to standby:

By turning off your equipment, you are saving energy and saving money. “Our computers and smartphones might seem clean, but the digital economy uses a tenth of the world’s electricity — and that share will only increase, with serious consequences for the economy and the environment. Which uses more electricity: the iPhone in your pocket, or the refrigerator humming in your kitchen? Hard as it might be to believe, the answer is probably the iPhone.”

See the article: http://science.time.com/2013/08/14/power-drain-the-digital-cloud-is-using-more-energy-than-you-think/

What can we do to use less energy?

• Set your computer screen to turn off after 5-15 minutes in standby.
• Make sure your laptop is set to go standby after 15min.
• Turn off your equipment and phones when you’re not using it.

Go to this link to find out how to do it.

2. Recycle your old PC/Laptop

• Don’t throw your laptop or PC away and add to the world’s growing waste problem. Why not recycle it?

Many of the computers that end up in landfill could have been used by our community for charities, schools, or other non-profit groups.

Here’s where you can recycle or donate your computer:
http://www.greenpc.com.au/
http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/ewaste-dropoff/MelbourneVIC
http://www.techcollect.com.au

3. Buy green

• If you’re in the market for a new PC, do some research before you buy. Many computer manufacturers, including HP(better on the scale), Acer, Dell (patchy) and others, now offer “green” models that use less energy, have more reusable/rechargeable components, or use recycled material.
• Choose a laptop over a desktop. In order to optimize battery usage, most laptops have energy-efficient features built-in: a laptop can use up to 50% less electricity than a desktop machine.

Check out Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/Cool-IT-Leaderboard/6th-Edition/
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/

Thanks for helping to save the planet!