Ask Liz First » Electronics

The Story of Stuff – Electronics

Liz — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:47:15 +0000

Technology is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L, but with it comes some VERY serious environmental issues. Proper disposal of used/unwanted electronics must be mandated to help protect people and the planet.

Watch the below video to see what some of those issues are and remember: “MAKE ‘EM SAFE, MAKE ‘EM LAST, TAKE ‘EM BACK“.

Time Change – Spring Forward – Move Forward

Liz — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Yep, it’s time again to change all of our clocks. I must admit that this activity has always been an annoyance to me; going to every timepiece in the house, vehicles, workplace, wristwatches, etc., and changing the time on every solitary one of them. Honestly, if it wouldn’t affect me on a daily basis, I probably would just ignore the whole process for as long as possible. Yet, without taking personal responsibility to complete this process twice a year, my life could be negatively affected in countless ways.

The same holds true with making relatively small, appearing insignificant changes in our daily activities. Changes that could make a positive impact on the environment and our quality of life. How many minor changes can we make in our lives that actually cost us very little, financially, emotionally, physically, and make a positive impact on the planet? That’s the primary purpose for this blog, sharing ways to take better care of ourselves and our planet.

So today, I wanted to show you a product that I personally have not yet tried. It’s called the ecobutton™, and it reminds me a lot of the Smart Strip. Essentially, this button helps you save electricity, every time your computer is going to be left idle. And, if you’re reading this blog entry right now, there’s a 99% chance that you’re sitting at a computer reading it. So, this little gadget could be great for you to use!

The ecobutton™ is illuminated and sits on your table/desk top next to your keyboard. It connects to your computer via a USB cable. There’s also an additional bonus, each time your computer is put into ‘ecomode’ the clever ecobutton™ software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved by using the ecobutton™.

If, this is an resource you choose to try in your small steps to be more environmentally conscious, please post a comment on how you like it. Please consider taking a small step forward in making positive changes for our planet. And don’t forget, Sunday, March 8th, Daylight Savings Time takes place. SPRING FORWARD ONE HOUR !

Toxic Electronic Waste

Liz — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:02:00 +0000

Our discarded electronics, (commonly referred to as E-Waste); computers, televisions, cell phones and such, are often being shipped out of the US and over to developing countries, only to turn those countries into toxic waste dumps. Residents of those countries often salvage portions of the waste, and the contents of it are used by them in a manner, which can be detrimental to their health and/or the environment’s. There are some really easy solutions for disposal of EWaste, which can be found on Earth 911’s website.

But, to get a better understanding of the improper methods of disposal of toxic electronic waste, watch the feature story that 60 Minutes will be airing this Sunday. Here’s the video clip for more info about the upcoming 60 Minutes story:

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