It's easy to ignore the environmental effects of a computer: How much electricity is it using? Where did it come from? Where will it end up? What is it made from? Who made it? But did you ever stop to think about about HOW you use your computer?
How many Google searches does it take to Boil a Kettle?
It's quick and easy to type "Facebook" for example into your Google search bar, click on the first result "www.facebook.co.uk" and arrive at the BBC but how much energy would your body consume typing the extra 10 characters compared to Google? (in fact, you can leave out the "www." on most websites these days so it's only six). It's hard to say but the fact is that Google uses 0.2g of CO2 per search [Times online article] so we can equate this to boiling a kettle - previous hype stated that just two searches was equivalent to boiling a kettle.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Chances are, you're not. You've been sat there too long without taking a break and your desk and chair haven't been set up properly for you to work at. Or you have a notebook on your lap and you're hunched over or lying back in an intensely fatigue inducing position.
Ever tried a standing desk?
So there are simple steps we can all take to improve our lifestyles and our planet, these small steps will add up to a giant leap for mankind if we all take a few seconds to remember:
Don't 'Google it' unless you have to. Take a walk to the bookshelf and thumb through a book for a change.
Stand up from your chair at least every 40 minutes. Try to design your workspace so that you can look into the distance occasionally, this greatly relieves eyestrain. Maybe you need glasses? I'm not trying to be rude but if you suffer headaches while working at the computer, this could be a cause.
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