Kathy Holloway looks at how nurses can be greener in their computer use
There is increasing awareness of the individual responsibility we all hold for the sustainability of our environment. Green Computing is the study and practice of minimising the environmental impact of computers through efficient manufacturing, use and disposal.
How do you manage your computer usage? Do you leave your computer and monitor on when you are away from your desk or out? Do you leave the lights on when you leave the office or ward? Do you print documents unnecessarily and could you print two pages to a side or double-sided?
There are many simple and not too inconvenient steps you can take to be greener. I have gathered the following beginning ideas from across the multitude of websites now being launched to help consumers with this issue:
- Use email as an alternative to some of your letters and cards, postcards and birthday greetings. Printed greeting cards are so expensive to buy and mail – these are termed ‘one-trip’ items.
- If you’re a computer user, don’t print out all the emails you receive or you will require more rather than less paper! I know that for us digital immigrants this is challenging, but be selective.
- Consider loading the printer with paper already used on one side, so you have to make a conscious choice to put in new paper.
- Don’t use screensavers. They waste energy, not save it.
- Buy computers and monitors labeled Energy Star, which can be programmed to automatically ‘power-down’ or ‘sleep’ when not in use – find out how to do this by checking out power options in your control panel (go to ‘start’ button and select ‘control panel’).
- Turn your computer and peripherals off when not in use. Did you know that your monitor alone uses half of the total energy to run a computer? This will not harm the equipment.
- Turn the hard drive off when going out (or overnight for those that don’t get out!).
- Use flat panel monitors, which use about half of the electricity of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display – that’s the big screens.
- Buy inkjet printers, not laser printers. Inkjet printers use 80 to 90 per cent less energy than laser printers and print quality can be excellent.
What about when your computer is obsolete? Electronic waste is an increasing problem globally, with electronics making up a staggering 70 per cent of all hazardous waste. Computer waste is high in many toxic materials such as heavy metals and flame-retardant plastics, which easily leach into ground water and bio-accumulate. In addition, chip manufacturing uses some of the deadliest gases and chemicals known and requires huge amounts of resources.
The Ministry for the Environment publishes a useful fact sheet detailing how to safely dispose of your old PC aka toxic paper weight – http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/safe-use-and-disposal-computer-equipment/use-disposal-computer-equipment.html.
You can even calculate your household’s carbon footprint on the carbon zero site – http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/EmissionsCalc/EditDataSheet.aspx. With awareness comes choice – take the challenge to be part of the change.
