Going Green in Cyberspace Part 2 “Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Online”
Last week we talked in Going Green in Cyberspace Part 1 about “Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Online”. This week we continue on this topic of being green in cyberspace by sharing about tips for online banking, reading Ebooks via the Kindle and using Eco-Friendly Hosting companies such as Ipage. To find out more about Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Online continue reading below on part 2 of Going Green in Cyberspace.
Eco-Friendly Ways to Go Green Online
Going Green in Cyberspace Part 2
Sign Up For Online Banking
This is similar to the idea of paying bills online. Most (if not all) banks give you the option to create an online banking account. You can view statements at anytime, setup automatic payments, make transfers, and do just about anything you would at a real bank. Unfortunately, you can’t print out money like an ATM when you need it, but everything else will save you a lot of trips and wasted paper.
Read Everything You Can Online
Personally, I don’t think there’s anything quite like a good book and you don’t even have to buy them new. You can go to a used bookstore, or borrow them from the library. However, since the invention of things like Amazon’s Kindle, people are all about eBooks and eReaders and whatnot. This is nice: it saves trees and all the work that goes into printing and shipping books. However, it doesn’t need to stop there. If you subscribe to newspapers or magazines, stop getting them in the mail (or buying them at the store) and start reading them online. Most publications also have websites and some may even have special news or contests for subscribers that aren’t necessarily published in the paper copies.
Switch To Eco-Friendly Hosting
If you have a website, or build websites for others, I highly recommend looking into eco-friendly website hosting, I currently use Ipage for three of my Eco-Friendly Sites including My Eco Maid . These companies are either eGreen certified and purchase credits to offset their emissions, or they are powered by renewable energy, including solar and wind power. Some hosts will also donate a portion of their profits to environmental charities! Search on GreenMaven.com to find the best online green options—for hosting and everything else!
Go Digital
Film cameras are becoming obsolete—and with good reason. Unless you have access to a scanner, you can’t touch up or edit goofed images. That stain on your prom dress will always be visible, or no one will know it was a celebrity’s face behind your thumb. Digital cameras allow you to take pictures and retake pictures if you happen to miss a shot, someone distracted you during the shot, or some other goof happened. You can edit digital images in any way, post them online, immediately share them with friends and family, and not worry about them being destroyed by the puppy, spilt coffee, or anything of the sort. Plus, you don’t have to keep going out to buy more film. All you have to do is transfer the pictures from your camera to your computer (or a CD) and you can take hundreds more in no time. Plus, having them stored on a computer, CD, USB device, or an online photo sharing site allows you to print them anytime you want, using any kind of paper, sizing, and coloring you want.
These are all the tips for going green online that I have to offer for now, but I’m sure there are a lot more. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled. However, to green your computer habits even more:
- Always turn the computer off when you’re not using it (and won’t be using it for a considerable length of time).
- Plug all those cords into a power strip and switch off the strip when you’re not using the computer, to prevent unnecessary electrical energy waste.
- Make sure you use the most power efficient settings your computer has when it is in use (such as sleep mode).
Resources
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