I have had to finally spend some money and replace the screen/monitor for my old computer. While the central processing unit is younger, the monitor was well over ten years old. Unlike many people I kept it when I had to change the CPU, as it was a very energy efficient model. Part of my rational about keeping green is to not waste the resources that are used in manufacturing any product that I use.
While that may mean that I don’t have the latest wiz bang gadget or product, often by making careful choices in the first place, I don’t waste money constantly updating something that is still working well. But in the case of the monitor, it was starting to play up. Then finally the tube went so that the screen image collapsed to a third of the screen area. I did try turning it back on to take a picture of what I was seeing but when I did it blew, smoke out the back type of failure that told me it had committed suicide.
However I need the computer so I had to buy a new monitor. While I did look at obtaining a new one, I decided to buy second hand. As often when people buy their new even faster and more powerful computer, they get new keyboard and the rest of the kit, so that there are thousands of tonnes of perfectly good consumer electronic goods thrown away. Therefore, I bought a flat screen monitor for about a third of the cost of a new one. Further, by doing so I have stopped something else going into landfill and it will also reduce my energy costs and help reduce my already small carbon footprint.
I know that some people think that I am being smug by telling you folks in “Blogland” about what I am doing to be greener, when all I am trying to do is lead by example. People seem to think that they can’t do much to help save the environment, when there are many things they can do. Also people feel that there is no point as if they are doing it they will be doing it alone. You will not be doing your bit for the planet on your own, this mouse and many others are already doing as much, and many much more.
It has been amusing for me to observe the way that people have gone out and spent a small fortune on new televisions over the past few years. The screens have got bigger, incidentally at the same time as homes have got smaller, yet with digital switchover coming most of these will be useless unless people invest in the box to receive the digital signal. Will this lead to more consumer goods being dumped as rubbish? Even now with the shut off of the analogue signal less than five years away, in the UK, most of the sets for sale are still analogue and not digital, a complete waste of energy and the earth’s resources.
I am not against consumer goods or luxuries; it is just that we all need to think carefully about only buying what we need and not just changing something just because it’s the latest fashion.
We have gorged ourselves on consumer goods, and just seem to never be satisfied with having a mobile telephone, but it must be the latest model. All these items eat energy and add to climate change, not just in their use but manufacture, shipping and then in the disposal of them.
Even if you don’t give a dam about the environment, not falling into the trap of consumerism will save you a small fortune.
While that may mean that I don’t have the latest wiz bang gadget or product, often by making careful choices in the first place, I don’t waste money constantly updating something that is still working well. But in the case of the monitor, it was starting to play up. Then finally the tube went so that the screen image collapsed to a third of the screen area. I did try turning it back on to take a picture of what I was seeing but when I did it blew, smoke out the back type of failure that told me it had committed suicide.
However I need the computer so I had to buy a new monitor. While I did look at obtaining a new one, I decided to buy second hand. As often when people buy their new even faster and more powerful computer, they get new keyboard and the rest of the kit, so that there are thousands of tonnes of perfectly good consumer electronic goods thrown away. Therefore, I bought a flat screen monitor for about a third of the cost of a new one. Further, by doing so I have stopped something else going into landfill and it will also reduce my energy costs and help reduce my already small carbon footprint.
I know that some people think that I am being smug by telling you folks in “Blogland” about what I am doing to be greener, when all I am trying to do is lead by example. People seem to think that they can’t do much to help save the environment, when there are many things they can do. Also people feel that there is no point as if they are doing it they will be doing it alone. You will not be doing your bit for the planet on your own, this mouse and many others are already doing as much, and many much more.
It has been amusing for me to observe the way that people have gone out and spent a small fortune on new televisions over the past few years. The screens have got bigger, incidentally at the same time as homes have got smaller, yet with digital switchover coming most of these will be useless unless people invest in the box to receive the digital signal. Will this lead to more consumer goods being dumped as rubbish? Even now with the shut off of the analogue signal less than five years away, in the UK, most of the sets for sale are still analogue and not digital, a complete waste of energy and the earth’s resources.
I am not against consumer goods or luxuries; it is just that we all need to think carefully about only buying what we need and not just changing something just because it’s the latest fashion.
We have gorged ourselves on consumer goods, and just seem to never be satisfied with having a mobile telephone, but it must be the latest model. All these items eat energy and add to climate change, not just in their use but manufacture, shipping and then in the disposal of them.
Even if you don’t give a dam about the environment, not falling into the trap of consumerism will save you a small fortune.
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