Save The Planet One Search At A Time!

[ozzie2011]

Hi all

As most of you know the less power we use the better it is for the environment.

Most websites have a crisp white clean look to them, this however uses more power to view them.

A way we can help make a little bit of a difference is to use a different search which we all use regularly.

The link below is provided by google and uses the same search engine, but as it is all black is saves energy. To date it has save a staggering 2,330,796.806 Watt hours

as they say, every little helps, start using it now for your searching need

http/www.blackle.com/

 

[KittyKat]

..or we could save millions of the amount of energy that would by breaking down one fish tank..
..or by using only netbooks instead of powerful laptops..

Also for most modern screens, the difference in minute compared to older screens

 

[ozzie2011]

..or we could save millions of the amount of energy that would by breaking down one fish tank..
..or by using only netbooks instead of powerful laptops..

Also for most modern screens, the difference in minute compared to older screens

Or we could be negative and dont worry about anything

 

[HappyGeorge]

Ooh I like it, nice one Ozzie.

I'm confused Kitty Kat, if we all go out and buy netbooks won't the energy used to produce them be counter productive against the energy savings during use? Just a thought (with maybe a hint of sarcasm)

 

[bae1994]

interesting but apparently because its covering your screen (lit by a white back lite) it can/does just take more power but theres controversy on the subject

 

[woody88]

Just checked out that link! .........I like it!......but unfortunatley its come up red on my Anti virus software so wont take the risk.

I presume its a relatively new search engine as Mcafee has'nt scanned it yet for cookies, malware etc but will certainly consider it in the future..................When we've exhausted all the earth natural resources!lol

Will save the link anyway as I do like it and as Ozzie says every little helps!

 

[KittyKat]

..or we could save millions of the amount of energy that would by breaking down one fish tank..
..or by using only netbooks instead of powerful laptops..

Also for most modern screens, the difference in minute compared to older screens

Or we could be negative and dont worry about anything

(..or just think about it and do things which make a significant difference instead of a superficial "feel good" effort..)

I'm confused Kitty Kat, if we all go out and buy netbooks won't the energy used to produce them be counter productive against the energy savings during use? Just a thought (with maybe a hint of sarcasm)

The idea is not to *buy something*, but to *not buy it at all* or buy less or smaller when you are going to anyway. Buy with an aim to reduce impact, don't buy at all to reduce impact further, don't use if you're not there.. that sort of stuff. For example, savings from switching off lights when not in the room would be phenomenal.. or switching off TV when no one is paying attention to it.. or if people don't take their cars when they could walk the same distance in 15 minutes or less.. there is a lot of high impact stuff which many people can do just on an every day basis just by taking note of when they don't *need* to use the energy.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Well I had responded as a joke initially but if were going to give out advice let's make it factual, there are many untruths about lighting in particular, but it is true that a fluorescent light costs more to start than it does to run and starting does have a very small detrimental effect on the starter, thus reducing its life span by one start as the starter is made to carry out x number of starts.

I worked as an energy analyst for many years and as such carried out a huge number of energy surveys on commercial and industrial sites with detailed patterns of usage recorded by monitoring the meter wheel with an electronic eye. The result of some surveys was that we tore down a load of "PLEASE SWITCH OFF THE LIGHT" posters as people were turning them off and then turning back on 10 mins later. As a rule of thumb if you're going to be gone for more than 20 minutes and its a fluorescent light then turn it off, if not leave the thing on and save energy and money.

Unfortunately it is not as simple as don't buy or only buy to replace if needed. In some instances it becomes more economic to dump and replace than to carry on using something, but that involves knowing the running costs, production costs, logistical costs and if you're going to do it properly the cost of running the lamp on the designers desk and the environmental cost of his sandwich wrapper (yes I do know I'm being silly).

What you say is sound though in that we can all do something and be more aware, and maybe give a bit more time to appreciate the value of other peoples ideas, every little helps.

 

[KittyKat]

Of course what you say is true.. but that's all part of the "think more about it" too I was only pointing out that there are more significant things that many of us can do every day if we just started paying attention to it.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Of course what you say is true.. but that's all part of the "think more about it" too I was only pointing out that there are more significant things that many of us can do every day if we just started paying attention to it.

Well said many people are just too lazy to care at all, and of course for some its education. I still can't believe (and I hope anyone who does this doesn't take it personally), but people still leave TV's on standby. I bought a set of 3 remote sockets (£5 from Asda) and they are in my main sockets every night before I go to bed I just hit one button and it kills everything (not connected to fish tank sockets so not literally kill). So TV, Sky, Modem, Surround Sound, DVD players, and at Christmas they are a godsend, have a second set for all the fairy lights and it saves crawling about under Christmas trees whilst half cut.

While we are on the subject of the environment here's a link to a free water saving device that connects to your shower hose. It only works if your on a combi or running from a tank I believe. I have one running on my combi boiler run shower, it's one of the big heads that comes out of the wall but is fed from a hose from a mixer tap, it connects at the point the shower hose joins the mixer and it cuts the water flow to the correct amount for decent flow but prevents the problems you get with high water pressure from most modern combis. It is essentially a flow restrictor, it won't effect temp of water and doesn't give a noticeable drop in pressure, or ruin your shower. It comes with a little test kit to see if you need to fit it or not.

 

[woody88]

Blimey!

Ozzie only posted a simple link, to try save a bit of energy and this is turning out into a full
on debate!.....................Exellent!

Oh!, for the record, I agree with all the posts so far [some good opinions and facts]

 

[Harry1996]

I have a net book and im using it right now Can i just say my family always leave stuff on standby I love my netbooks 8 hour battery life im on it a lot so i have to charge it every night but still less than a normal lappy. (Im not on my net book 8 hours a day it just depends on what im doing)