How Green Is Your Computer?

On World Environment Day, let us do our own thing to reduce carbon emissions. Some tips to help you make your PC green. nnIf you are environmentally aware and would like to use your computer in a more efficient manner, you’ve come to the right place. For almost everything you do on the PC, there are ways to save energy and reduce your environmental impact, as reducing your carbon footprint.nnRecycling computers isn’t for everyone. Perhaps you have decided to just dispose of it altogether. nnBut you just can’t dump an old PC in the trash…no you need to dispose it in an environmentally-friendly (read legal) fashion. nnFortunately, there are options for you to dispose computer. The first action you should take is to delete all personal and proprietary information off your hard disks and other system reservoirs of information. There are many software options that can be used for this task. This ensures your personal ID will remain yours and prevents identity theft.nn1. Green search nnGoogle is the most extensively used search engine. And, there is an eco-friendly alternative to it: Blackle.com. Visit the site and you will know how black resolution requires less energy than white. You can also switch to using black wallpapers and screensavers that consume lesser power than white or colored backgrounds. nn2. Use LCD monitors nnReplace your CRT monitors with LCD technology. LCD technology provides up to 70% power saving and comes with twice the lifespan of CRT monitors. nn3. Optimize your PC's power settings with iYogi toolbar nnEvery modern operating system has its own setting for conserving power. You can optimize your PC's energy consumption by making changes in the power settings. In case you are browsing through several folders and are unable to optimize energy conservation, don't worry – take the help of iYogi Green PC toolbar – a 'do-it-yourself' kit that can be installed on all Windows-based systems. The utility engages PC users in a community drive to save energy and, in turn, cut down on their respective energy bills. nn4. Go green with Vista nnPower consumption in Windows Vista is more adjustable than in Windows XP. Vista can adjust its performance to fit the task you're working on, boosting power when you're watching or editing a video and lowering it when you're just typing out a document. nnn5. Turn off peripherals when not in use nnEven when you shut down your computer and the monitor goes black; your monitor is actually consuming power in standby mode and waiting for the PC to switch back on. All your PC peripherals like printer and monitor should be turned off when not in use, which can be achieved by plugging all of them to a common power strip, which can be switched off when not in use. nn