Employer removes screen savers to save energy
That corporate logo bouncing around your screen when you're not using your computer isn't helping the environment.That is the opinion of Telstra, the largest provider of phone and cable Internet service in Australia. They recently issued a statement saying that, as part of its effort to green-ify their business, they have removed all corporate screensavers from employee computers using Windows XP and replacing them with more energy efficient (but less hypnotic) black screens.
Is this going to do anything? Testra thinks so. By removing 36,000 screensavers, they claim to cut 646 tons of CO2, which would be like removing 140 cars from Australian roads for one full year.Turns out the crazy colors or bouncing graphics take about as much power as regular processing. It also turns out that many of today's newfangled monitors don't really burn and don't need this protection. Most screensavers are just trippy distractions when your bored.
Having those flashy graphics zipping around takes as much processing power as you actually doing work, so why bother having your computer wasting all that energy just to have that green Matrix code running down your screen (which, by the way, doesn't make you look like Neo and was only slightly cool eight years ago).
I don't use a fancy screensaver myself - like an increasing number of people, I essentially live, work, and breath at my computer and rarely walk away so I haven't needed one. Knowing that my screen doesn't need saving along with the power wastage issue makes me comfortable with my decision. Despite not having digital fish floating around, power management is a way more important part of getting your computer as green as possible. After you think about ditching your screensaver, start looking into how to get your PC greener.
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