THINKING ABOUT COMPUTER ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Each part of your computer system with its own power cable requires energy. The energy requirement at any given time is measured in watts, just as with a light bulb. The larger the number of watts, the more power needed. When you multiply the number of watts required at any time by the length of time you use your computer, the result is the total amount of energy consumed by your system. The most familiar measure of energy use is the kilowatt-hour (kWh), as seen on your home electricity bill. This is the amount of energy required to power a 1000-watt device (the equivalent of ten 100-watt light bulbs) for one hour.

A typical desktop PC with a 17" flat panel LCD monitor requires about 100 watts -- 65 for the computer and 35 for the monitor. Doesn't sound like much? Left on 24/7 for one year, the system will consume a whopping 874 kWh of electricity. That's enough to release 750 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- the equivalent of driving 820 miles in an average car.

OUR ARTISTS WITHOUT COMPUTER TOXINS

Computers are a mixture of engineered materials including metals, plastics and several types of toxic substances. Both desktop and laptop computers can contain substantial amounts of metals such as lead, aluminum, iron, copper, zinc, nickel and tin, as well as smaller amounts of metals such as germanium, gallium, beryllium, manganese, silver, cobalt, titanium, mercury and others. When disposed of improperly, these materials damage the environment. And the problem is growing. Estimates are that 70 million computers have already been sent to landfills, and in this decade, another 500 to 600 million more computers may become obsolete and require disposal.

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