‘Green’ Gadgets

I’m going to let you in on a deep, dark, personal secret… I’m a tree-hugger. Yes, the gadget guy is also the green guy (I was only kidding a few issues back when I said I like my gadgets to dim the lights three states away when they are plugged in). You may think that it is impossible to be a gadget guy AND be green, but in fact, it is us gadget guys that are going to save the planet, one LED light at a time.

Now I know that this is a hot topic these days and people get all riled up on both sides of the argument, but the fact of the matter is, why waste it if you don’t have to? Regardless of whether or not it is our fault that the ice caps are melting or that coral reefs are dying, just because you have a ton of something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t conserve it.

I’m not a real fan of guilt-tripping people into changing their ways; I think that most people want to do what is right for themselves, their children and the planet. In the past though, it has typically been A LOT harder (and more expensive) to be a conservationist than to go along with the norm and be wasteful.

That equation has changed quite a bit over the last several years and now it just makes sense to become more of a conservationist, not only for the environment but also for your pocket book. The thing that has changed this whole equation is technology. Technology has allowed for some previously expensive solutions to become the easier choice. I would like to share a few of my favorite gadgets that you can get right now – or in the very near future – that will not only help conserve our resources, but will also conserve a few dead presidents in your wallet (in the long run).

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL): I have converted virtually all the lights in my house to CFLs and while they might not turn on instantaneously and some may take a minute to warm up for their full brightness, they are among the cheapest and easiest gadgets to use to green up your home. They may cost a bit more than traditional incandescent bulbs. But, that difference has come down dramatically over the last few years as their popularity has increased. The fact that they use 65-75% less electricity and last years longer than an incandescent bulb really tips the scales in their favor.

Some people may complain about the 5 milligrams of mercury in each bulb, but as long as they are disposed of in a proper manner (i.e. not just thrown in the waste basket which you shouldn’t even do with incandescent bulbs) that isn’t really an issue. Also, to counter that argument, if you get your electricity from a coal fired plant you will actually reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment by the reduced energy consumption.

If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars (THAT, my friends, is a lot of conservation with very little effort).

Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lights: Within the next year you will see a new light hit the streets… the LED light. Actually these lights are already available all over the place as keychain lights, flashlights, and even a few larger home floodlights, but soon their efficiency and cost will get to the point to make them much more practical for lighting your house.

LEDs have been around forever but it has taken engineers a long time to perfect a white light LED (red and blue LEDs are relatively easy to produce). LED fixtures will use a larger array of individual lights to provide an instantly bright source of white light (to counter the biggest complaints against CFLs). The beauty of LEDs over CFLs – in addition to their quicker response times – is that they have the potential to use even less power and last longer than CFLs; saving you even more money on your electric bill.

Rechargeable Batteries: Batteries can help save the world? Yep, they sure can! By helping to prevent the throwing away of over 1000 alkaline batteries (since you can charge most rechargeable batteries over 1000 times) you are preventing a ton (literally) of toxic trash being put into our landfills. Rechargeable batteries used to be pretty crummy and didn’t hold their charges very well but nowadays they often outperform their alkaline brethren.

Some new ‘hybrid’ batteries such as the Eneloop battery by Sanyo come out of the package precharged and actually hold on to 80% of their charge one year after coming out of the charger (older rechargeables would be dead within months). These ‘hybrid’ batteries are especially great for low use items such as remote controls since they don’t drain as much over time. Many rechargeables also have higher charge capabilities (look for higher mAh numbers on the side of the battery, 2300 mAh or higher for a AA is great) and can do a better job in a lot of gadgets, such as cameras, than alkalines. Do the planet a favor and get several packs of rechargeables and properly dispose of all those dead alkalines.

Low-Flow Shower Heads: Is a shower head really a gadget? It is when they design it with multiple air intake valves to boost spray power and make a 1.8 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) flow feel like that of a regular 2.5 – 5 GPM shower head. Some even have variable rates that let you adjust the flow depending on what your needs are at any given time (more for rinsing off, less for lathering up). These are a double whammy in the conservation department since they help to conserve both water and energy. They help stretch out your hot water supply so your hot water heater doesn’t have to run as often.

Power Strips: Ah, the ubiquitous power strip that resides behind virtually every desk and entertainment system in America. Did you know that they can help you take a huge chunk out of you energy bill? You may think that just because an electrical device is turned off that it is not really drawing that much power but some devices draw almost as much power in their ‘stand-by’ modes as they do fully on. By plugging in groups of devices that are only used every now and then into one power strip and turning the strip off when the devices aren’t in use, you can dramatically cut this phantom power drain.

Alarm clocks in guest rooms that aren’t in constant use can be shut down and then reset when guests stay over. Entertainment systems can be shut down when you are away on vacation since many modern TVs and cable boxes will synch up through their cable once they are turned back on. Also, don’t leave chargers plugged in. If you are not actively charging a cell phone or some other device, unplug the charger.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help conservation efforts and your wallet. All of them take very little investment in the beginning and often begin to pay you back immediately. The biggest thing though that you can do is just reduce your usage of energy, water, and materials. Out of the whole Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle mantra of the environmental movement, I would argue that reducing your usage of resources makes the biggest impact right from the beginning and will save you money right from the get-go.

That is it for me and my soapbox for now. As always, if you have any questions or have an idea for an article, please feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.