Archive for 'Green Tech'
How to save 181,000 trees and pay bills at the same time
Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by admin.
You probably don’t think of “saving green” when paying the bills, but a study conducted by the PayItGreen Alliance, a coalition of financial service companies, shows that switching from paper to electronic bills, statements and payments could help protect the environment.
According to the study, the average American household receives 19 bills and financial statements in the mail every month and makes seven payments in paper form. Here’s the impact on the environment if just 2% more households made the switch to electronic bills and payments:
More than 15 million pounds of paper would be saved, preserving more than 181,000 trees.
Emissions of more than 390 million pounds of greenhouse gases would be halted.
More than 143 million gallons of wastewater would be prevented from entering the environment.
To find out the impact your household could make, use the “Green Calculator” at payitgreen.org.
Source: Vicki Kriz , USA Today
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Digital TV Transition May Create Tons of E-Waste
Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by admin.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The long-awaited digital TV transition began today, leaving millions of Americans without a signal unless they secured a set-top converter box.
Many will replace their older analog TVs with new flashier models, creating a mountain of e-waste that some TV manufacturers are ill equipped to recycle. Some estimate one in four households will throw out a TV this year, which could mean millions of TVs ending up in landfills.
That makes environmental groups worry.
“With the upcoming digital TV conversion looming before us, many people don’t know where to take their old TVs,” Barbara Kyle, Electronics TakeBack Coalition National Coordinator, said in a statement this week. “There are some responsible manufactures and retailers who offer takeback programs, but unfortunately not all — including market leader Vizio.”
Kyle called out Vizio and others in its second TV Company Recycling Report Card released Wednesday. Most manufacturers increased their scores compared to the rankings of the first scorecard published in November.
Read entire article at GreenBiz.com
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Carbon ‘Pedometer’ Helps Volvo Cut Commute’s Footprint
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by admin.
STOCKHOLM, SE — Using a mobile phone-based software program has enabled a test group of Volvo employees to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of their daily commute by more than 30 percent.
The company this week unveiled a prototype of their CO2 pedometer project, which Volvo IT developed as part of a collaboration with the city of Göteborg, Sweden, to try and improve the economic and environmental efficiency of the city’s commuting structure.
After registering with a website through the mobile-phone pedometer software, employees were notified about the CO2 footprint of their daily travels. In order to cut their emissions, members of the test group switched their commute schedules, using public transit or bicycles instead of driving.
Volvo’s Carbon Pedometer. carbon pedometer
Volvo also enabled employees who left their cars at home access to an “eco car pool” for making business trips during work hours.
“Our project demonstrates how green IT can show people how they can help to reduce the climate threat and thereby increase their motivation to change their behavior and help to improve the environment,” said Kerstin Hanson from Volvo IT.
The project was part of a collaboration with the city of Göteborg to improve the efficiency of the road networks. The CO2 pedometer technology can be one facet of a technological tool to boost the efficiency of commuting by public transit, and can help those who drive avoid traffic slowdowns, saving energy and reducing emissions.
Last month, GreenBiz.com managing editor Matthew Wheeland visited CITRIS, a research group at the University of California, and learned about technology in development that uses cell phones as traffic-monitoring devices. The simple system lets individuals take part in the crowdsourcing of traffic conditions, and offers a cheaper, faster and more effective alternative to existing traffic monitors.
