Energy week: Green computer use, Part 2

This week's eco-topic: Energy.

All the crazy events this month threw me for a loop, so Energy week's been extended to 2 weeks. Today -- tips for making your computer habit a little more eco-friendly:

1. Change your power settings to give your computer breaks. Need to see the savings onscreen to believe it? Local Cooling, a free downloadable app, will lay it out for Windows XP users; TweakVista, not-so-free program for Vista users, has a feature that shows the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted each month by your PC -- as well as the monthly electrical bill that results. Caution: I haven't tried either of these programs myself, since the numbers on my electric bill are visualization enough for me.

2. When you're not using it, turn it off. Back in the days when Pine was a popular e-mail system and blogs didn't exist, you may've heard that you shouldn't turn your computer off because it's only built to turn on and off a relatively small number of times. Needless to say, times have changed. According to PC magazine, computers today can handle 40,000 on/off cycles, "considerably more times than the average user will turn the computer on and off during its five- to seven-year life span."

So if you don't plan to use a computer for a few hours, turn it off -- you'll save energy, and your computer will appreciate the break.  And please turn that thing off overnight.

3. Use it less and enjoy the SoCal weather. Don't end up like these somewhat sad Korean kids who're now in a government-funded "Internet Rescue camp" to cure them of their computer addiction. Read all the way to the bottom of this post? Thank you -- I appreciate your diligence. Now take a little break and go for a walk.

The other green computer tips involve buying new stuff; that'll come in Part 3.

Photo by Pablo Ruiz Múzquiz via Flickr