Technology is a tool that is supposed to help us. It is used to facilitate human development and progress. But many times these gadgets that make life easier, are the very same we cannot lead our lives without. The everyday use of mobile phones and laptops are seen as a necessity – when in reality we can do without them most of the time. These smart phones and gadgets take in about 15 percent of home energy or about 1,650 kilowatts-hours or 2,200 pounds of CO2 emission per year…. And these are the just the gadgets that we could theoretically do without. We haven’t even mentioned about central heating.
Energy consumption or the emission of CO2 is just the tip of the iceberg. There are also other problems like 2.4 billion batteries that end up in U.S. landfills alone, every year, leaching toxic metals into the ground water supply.
Say, what are people who are environmental conscious to do in this situation? Sacrifice the luxury of technology? Or rather to go harsh on themselves, limit the usage of their gadgets?
The answer is simpler than that. With a few technological adjustments you can still you your gadgets like you did before AND lead a healthier environmental life.
The credits of this go to companies that are stressing on creating their models to be ‘green, and greener.’ This has initiated an eco-friendly consciousness in the minds of the people, and today, many of the gadgets we use have a better, greener version of themselves in the markets. Many of these machines make the use of solar energy to replace traditional, emitting types. Solar power emits nothing and relies on a limitless fuel source, making it a guilt free way to power our modern necessities and luxuries.
SunDanzer Solar Refrigerator
The best way of preserving nutrition and state of good food is to keep it refrigerated. However, if circumstances do arise, when in one decides to give up on these fridges completely (It emits 450 – 1000 kWh per year) for the sake of nature… Fear not, for there is a greener version of our cooling system out there. A couple of NASA scientist came out with the perfect solution: A solar powered refrigerator! This might not seem as a new or out of the blue idea, but the NASA scientist developed SunDanzer Solar refrigerator is one of the most widely purchased and intensely practical applications of the idea.
SunDanzer is a top load, chest style refrigerator or freezer. It uses the vapor compressed type of system that probably runs your current refrigerator. It also reaches the same low temperatures, so don’t be afraid that your food won’t stay equally cool or preserved. The only real difference is that the SunDanzer will be plugged into a solar panel system instead of a regular wall outlet.
To maintain optimal refrigeration, the solar panels need to bask in 5 hours of direct sunlight per day. So… does that mean your milk will turn sour when the day is cloudy? That’s a complete NO. Here’s the additional to the deal – The unit can store additional energy, so much that it can actually run a week without sun and still keep things cold. Plus, there’s a battery, just in case.
Samsung Blue Earth Solar Phone
Cell phones look very innocent, but in reality they’re one of the dirtiest gadgets. Part of the blame can go on the constant charging they need, which results in a fairly substantial greenhouse gases in the air. It’s also all about what is used to manufacture these phones – Arsenic, PVC, brominated flame retardants, lead and phthalates, which are toxic once the original purpose of the phone is over.
Loads of cell phone manufacturers are going green nowadays, and one of the most brilliant attempts is by Samsung’s Blue Earth Solar Phone. Blue Earth got rid of several of the toxic materials like brominated flame retardant and phthalates AND also made the casings out of renewable and recyclable plastic. And the thing that impresses everyone the most: the integrated solar panel. Expose the solar panel for an hour for 10 minutes of talk and for 12 hours for 4 complete hours of talk. Samsung says the solar panel increases the energy efficiency by 34.6 percent.
If this wasn’t enough, let us mention that this phone is a full touch screen model with color.
Solio Solar-Powered Battery Charger
When the world was blessed with the existence of rechargeable batteries, everyone heaved a sigh – for this surely was a green way of living. This was however short lived, once we learnt that rechargeable battery are typically juiced up by coal or nuclear power.
Here comes Solio, a battery charger that relies on clean energy to power up your cell phone, MP3, cameras and PDA.
The Solio Hybrid 1000 works just like any other charger – Put in a battery and plug it into a power source. So what makes it any different? With Solio, the power source can be a solar panel. According to the manufacturer the solar panel takes the same amount of time to charge the battery as a normal grid-power does.
The charger also stores power, so you can leave it in the sun – all ready for later uses. And in case, there’s a cloudy sky, the ‘hybrid’ part of it kicks it – you can also charge it through a wall outlet or a USB port.
Could the sun get any more useful? Our answer is a definitive yes.
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