Talking about “green-er gadgets” on Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane | WHYY.org

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 | Hour 2

What do you do with your old cell phone when you’ve bought your upgrade? Are you using your home computer in the most energy-efficient way? Technology enthusiast JOE HUTSKO explains how to use our home entertainment devices in a more environmentally-friendly way in his new book, Green Gadgets for Dummies.

Listen via Green Gadgets | Radio Times | WHYY.

Had a great time speaking with Marty Moss-Coane about greener gadgets at the WHYY studio in Philadelphia. Special thanks to Patty and Denis for the invite and proper care and feeding of this on-air guest.

Via: Green Gadgets | Radio Times | WHYY | JOEyGADGET.

Some handy links to green gadget-related websites: Green Gadgets For Dummies.

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

With the future of digital reading undeniable, we decided to speak to someone who knows gadgets. Joe Hutsko joins Marnie to talk about e-readers vs. books, the advantages, disadvantages, and which of the two is greener.

Audio: Listen to the interview.

via Mud graffiti and book pulp | Radio Netherlands Worldwide.

From Carolyn Friedman, the below posting, which I found very interesting and worth passing on to others:

52 Ways To Lower Your Carbon Footprint In College

Because what you do now effects the future, going green in college can influence how you live the rest of your life. Everything from recycling, to using a laptop, to breaking out a caulk gun can literally save tons of carbon emissions. To do it right, check out the below 52 ways to lower your carbon footprint in college.

Read all about it at: Surgical Technician Schools » 52 Ways To Lower Your Carbon Footprint In College.

Ten Green Gadget Money Savings Tips | Green Gadgets For Dummies

From Green Gadgets For Dummies, by Joe Hutsko:

Ten Green Gadget Money Savings Tips

Here are some quick tips that can help you save money by using gadgets the green way:

1. Replace single-use disposable batteries in your gadgets with rechargeable ones – then properly dispose of all of those dead single-use cells at your local grocery, hardware or office supplies store
2. Turn down your TVs brightness and contrast settings to the lowest comfortable level; new TVs leave the factory with all of their picture-related settings cranked to the max to standout on the showroom floor, so adjust yours when you bring it home
3. Unplug cell phone, MP3 player, and other gadget chargers after the battery is charged, as well as other “energy vampire” devices that go into standby mode when they’re turned off to stop them from sipping power; or plug them all into power strips so you can instantly turn them off all at once
4. Disable your computer’s screensaver and adjust its power savings settings to turn off the display when you’re not using it for more than five minutes, then switch the computer to standby or sleep mode after ten minutes, then switch to “hibernate” mode after thirty minutes (if the feature is available)
5. Turn off any energy wasting features and settings you’re not using on cell phones, computers and other gadgets, including wireless (Wi-Fi) networking and Bluetooth, and GPS; also, reduce the screen’s brightness and activate auto-lock or screen dimming and shutoff options on gadgets that offer these options
6. Read and review documents on the screen instead of printing them on paper – if you must print, reduce your printer’s quality setting to 300 dots-per-inch, print on both sides of the page, print in color only when necessary, and refill inkjet and toner cartridges rather than buy new ones
7. Reduce fuel consumption and auto emissions by shopping and banking online, and renting or buying downloadable and streaming movies and TV shows instead of renting DVDs at the local video store, or Netflix’s rent-by-mail; instead, choose Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” movies and watch on your computer, TiVo-equipped TV, or other streaming gadget
8. If your thermostat isn’t programmable get one, then set so it’s only heating or cooling when you’re actually in the house; even inexpensive models can accommodate workweek and weekend turn ons and turn offs based on your schedule
9. When purchasing new gadgets, look the most energy efficient models by visiting mygreenelectronics.org, energystar.gov, and the green gadget-aware websites below to stay up on the latest news, reviews, trends and feature stories that can help you make the eco-friendliest choices possible – the longer term benefit can shave more than a little green off your utility bill
10. If donating your mobile phone, MP3 player, or computer isn’t an option when you need to replace it, consider selling it locally on Craigslist, or trading it in for cash or credit toward a new, more efficient model by visiting the gadget trading website EZTradein.com.

via JOEyGADGET.com.

Apple today announced two eco-friendlier-products milestones:

Apple ships PVC-free power cords with the new iMac and MacBook

Apple’s most popular computer systems — iMac and MacBook — now ship with PVC-free power cords in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Venezuela. PVC has been used in computer power cords for decades, and while it poses few risks under normal use, toxic compounds can be generated and released if PVC is manufactured or incinerated without proper controls. That’s why Apple is continuing to eliminate it from all our computer systems.All currently shipping Mac systems have PVC-free internal cables, and now MacBook and iMac systems are completely PVC-free. Apple engineers worked closely with our partners and tested dozens of materials in order to find a safe, reliable alternative to power cords that contain PVC. We are currently working with agencies in regions outside those mentioned above to achieve the necessary certifications to ship PVC-free power cords worldwide.

Apple completes transition to mercury-free LED-backlit displays across Mac product line

With the introduction of the new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac and the new MacBook, Apple offers energy-efficient, mercury-free LED backlight technology on every Mac with a display. So while other companies make promises to move away from power-hungry displays containing toxins such as mercury, Apple is taking action.iPod and iPhone have featured LED technology since their inception. In 2007, MacBook Pro became the first Mac to feature a mercury-free LED-backlit display. During the past year, we’ve added LED backlight technology to all MacBook Pro models. And we introduced the 24-inch LED Cinema Display: the first large-screen display to use LED backlight technology. This transition to LED backlight technology is yet another way Apple is working to lessen environmental impact through smarter product design.

via Apple – Environment – News.

The Fun Times Guide to Living Green reviews my new book, Green Gadgets For Dummies:

Green Gadgets For Dummies: THE Book Every Tech Geek Should Own

Wake up! Your beloved electronics are sucking the life out of your budget…not to mention the enormous environmental impact they have!

Luckily Green Gadgets for Dummies is swooping in for the rescue!

Before we get in to a quick breakdown of the awesomeness that is Green Gadgets for Dummies, check out these statistics from Planet Green that show why we need greener gadgets:

15 percent: Percentage of money spent on powering your computer dedicated to computing, worldwide; the rest of the $250 billion is spent on energy wasted in idling.

70 percent: Percentage of waste composed of discarded electronics, out of all hazardous waste.

529 pounds: Amount of fossil fuels required to manufacture a 53-pound computer system (including the monitor), along with 49 pounds of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water.

15 billion: Batteries produced annually worldwide.

40 percent: Of the energy used for electronics in your home is used while these devices are turned off.

Author Joey Hutsko does an amazing job at helping us learn how to shop for greener gadgets, avoid “greenwashed” products, and get the electronics we currently own to run more efficiently…all in a super fun and witty manner.

Read the full review: Green Gadgets For Dummies: THE Book Every Tech Geek Should Own – The Fun Times Guide to Living Green.

September 30, 2009, 9:30 AM

NYTimes.com | Green Inc.: Apple Expands Environmental Disclosures

By JOE HUTSKO

Apple last week updated its Apple and the Environment Web site to include a life cycle impact section that, the company says, accounts for its total carbon footprint of 10.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The emissions, organized by category, include those arising from manufacturing (38 percent); transportation (5 percent); product use (53 percent); facilities (3 percent); and recycling (1 percent).

“Because 53 percent of Apple’s greenhouse gas emissions are a result of the power our products consume, we design those products to be as energy-efficient as possible,” the company stated on its new Web site, adding that “Mac OS X even regulates processor activity between keystrokes, saving milliwatts of energy.”

A recent BusinessWeek article reported that carbon emissions for Hewlett-Packard and Dell were 8.4 million tons and 471,000 tons respectively. However, both companies “exclude product use and at least some manufacturing,” the article noted, and those companies “have said that including those factors would boost their carbon totals several-fold.”

Downloadable reports for all of Apple’s existing and recently retired products provide detailed breakdowns of each product’s environmental virtues (or shortcomings) — including whether it uses mercury-free LED displays or arsenic-free display glass. Also covered are the use of toxic substances like brominated flame retardants and polyvinyl chlorides, which are noxious when burned.

Apple says that all of its handheld products — iPhones and iPods — are now “PVC-free,” and that the majority of circuit boards and internal cables in its plastic-housed MacBooks are free of BFRs and PVCs. It also describes its remaining desktop, notebook, display and server products as being “BFR-free” and having “PVC-free internal cables.”

Asked whether any other electronics manufacturers are reporting the CO2 life-cycle impact for entire product lines, Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International’s toxics campaigner, said, “Not the way Apple is.”

“Others are doing some interesting reporting of their supply-chain emissions,” he added, “and HP is doing a lot of work there.”

via Apple Expands Environmental Disclosures – Green Inc. Blog – NYTimes.com.