The Essentia Blog

Information Technology is sinking a huge environmental footprint.

Here’s what you can do:
1) Check the manufacturer’s website before you buy; see if they take responsibility for their out-dated desk tops.
2) Look to local recycling centers.
- Type in “Computer Recycling YOUR CITY” in Google and there’s a great chance you’ll find one. They’ll dispose of it safely by neutralizing the lead, mercury and cadmium.

Data exchange uses about 1% of the energy output for the entire nation. Many companies are opting to replace the CRT (cathode ray tubes in the monitor) with LCD. The heat generated by high-speed drives raises cooling costs; while choosing a slower spin green hard drives for simple data storage lowers consumption significantly. HP even has a environmentally friendly computer. The Energy Star website will give you the latest tips for making your next IT purchase greener.

Packaging, state officials say, accounts for about 1/3 of the 18 million tons of garbage generated in New York alone each year. The garbage generated by the fast food industry is both dangerous to peoples health and the environment.

Nutrition labels tell us that a Big Mac is 52% fat and 45% sodium, so we switch to the Chicken McGrill which weighs in at half the fat and sodium levels. The problem is that the container the Chicken is served in is no better than the Big Mac container.

Styrofoam containers, non-biodegradable plastic cutlery, straws and cup lids pile up in garbage dumps. What makes this abhorrent display of recklessness even worse is that utensils made from corn and potato starch are available for biodegradable take-out supplies.

Don’t count on restaurants making the change for you. Bring your own cutlery, re-usable mugs, sealable serving dishes. Yeah, it’s kinda weird but you’ll get used to it. If anything, the more people do it the more restaurants will have to change their ways because of all the inconvenience we’ll be causing them.

Can we expect an industry who profits by selling unhealthy food to humans to care what its by-products do to the environment?