During the past few years, the obsession for everything eco-friendly has possessed the lifestyles of many Americans. The ‘green hype’ was started after the premiere of An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary featuring former Vice President Al Gore. Online bill payments have become available by many companies to reduce the use of paper statements. Eco-friendly products are rapidly appearing in the market, such as bedding and towels made from organic cotton, labeled organic foods, vegan cosmetics, and low energy appliances.
Certain areas have made the switch from Styrofoam disposable food boxes to containers that are biodegradable. Will participating in this ‘green hype’ really reduce an individual’s carbon footprint or is it all marketing? That is for the American consumer to decide. However, the real question is: Does participating in all this madness really reduce a person’s carbon footprint or will it just throw one into a heap of indecisiveness?Paper or plastic?
It is said that plastic bags are evil because it takes 500 years for them to decompose in landfills. So, the better option would be paper, right? It can be recycled and part of it is even made from post-consumer products. Wrong. Paper is still made from trees, which is a cause of deforestation. And, during its production, it generates a huge amount of air pollutants.
Consumers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags when they go shopping. However, not everybody cares enough or feels comfortable enough to bring their own bag. In that situation, opting for plastic is wiser. It is easier to store and reuse.
Shutdown or standby?
Many college students, especially ones that live on campus, leave their computers on for hours at a time, if not overnight and for days. Their main reason is that their housing fee already includes electricity usage.Another advantage of leaving a computer on is that it increases its longevity. Everytime it is turned on, it’s like giving it a minor heart attack. The immobile hard drives quickly spin up from a stationary position to speeds exceeding thousands of rotations a minute. The process required to make a new PC is nasty and eco-unfriendly. Modern PCs don’t consume much energy in standby mode.
A special report by Forbes.com cautions, “Human life will always leave footprints. The best we can do is tread carefully.”
For more information, visit: http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/24/green-choices-consumer-tech-paperplastic08-cx_de_0724intro.html.
