Gaming affects polar bears too
Unfortunately, this industry has been somewhat slow to green itself. While the major companies like Sony and Nintendo are taking steps, we're a long way from a guilt-free gaming experience. We are moving towards a greener gaming future.
Let's take a look at some of the impact that gaming has on the environment, and what you can do about it.
1. Plastic use
According to Check Out, a Wal-Mart blog, roughly 101 million games were sold in plastic cases in 2007, roughly equaling the emissions of 9,000 cars.
Fortunately, some of the major games are already packaged in cardboard and paper. World of Warcraft, with over 11 million subscribers, and on the eve of the release of its latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which is estimated to sell over 5 million copies, comes in cardboard packaging.
If you want to make a difference, consider buying your games second-hand, renting instead of buying, selling or donating your old games, or downloading them instead.
2. Multi-functionality
Today's consoles can do a wide variety of things, much like our cell phones and other gadgets. You can surf the web, send messages, play with gamers around the world, and play Blu-Ray discs, DVDs, and music.
This may sound pretty great. Buy a nice set of speakers, and you can ditch your DVD/Blu-Ray players and stereos, and keep your computer turned off for a greater portion of the day.
Check Out proposes that in fact, your console might be using up a fair amount more energy than a stand-alone media player. For the most part, you cannot opt out of this functionality, so pass your old players to your younger sibling, and keep your console powered down when you can.
3. Energy consumption
Many consoles are not turned off as often as they could be, and for many reasons. Some games don't allow you to save whenever you feel like it, and life isn't always going to wait for you to reach a save point or the end of a level. Features such as the Wii's Connect 24 and other standby modes drain energy even though you aren't using the system.
Leaving one console on 24/7/365 would supposedly eat up as much energy as running two refrigerators for the same duration.
While you can't rebuild your console to make it more energy efficient, you can make an effort to keep strict control over it. Using energy-saving options, turning it off completely, or keeping your entertainment system on a power bar that you can turn off is a great start.
Game research and development is also a huge energy sucker, but the pressure has been on lately for companies to green up their act.
Which console is the greenest? The Wii consumes significantly less energy than its competitors, and many of its games are educational, environmentally-minded, and encourage activity.
4. The break-down
The last place your console should end up is a landfill. Instead, recycle it, and earn some cash back!
According to Check Out, a Wal-Mart blog, roughly 101 million games were sold in plastic cases in 2007, roughly equaling the emissions of 9,000 cars.
Fortunately, some of the major games are already packaged in cardboard and paper. World of Warcraft, with over 11 million subscribers, and on the eve of the release of its latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which is estimated to sell over 5 million copies, comes in cardboard packaging.
If you want to make a difference, consider buying your games second-hand, renting instead of buying, selling or donating your old games, or downloading them instead.
2. Multi-functionality
Today's consoles can do a wide variety of things, much like our cell phones and other gadgets. You can surf the web, send messages, play with gamers around the world, and play Blu-Ray discs, DVDs, and music.
This may sound pretty great. Buy a nice set of speakers, and you can ditch your DVD/Blu-Ray players and stereos, and keep your computer turned off for a greater portion of the day.
Check Out proposes that in fact, your console might be using up a fair amount more energy than a stand-alone media player. For the most part, you cannot opt out of this functionality, so pass your old players to your younger sibling, and keep your console powered down when you can.
3. Energy consumption
Many consoles are not turned off as often as they could be, and for many reasons. Some games don't allow you to save whenever you feel like it, and life isn't always going to wait for you to reach a save point or the end of a level. Features such as the Wii's Connect 24 and other standby modes drain energy even though you aren't using the system.
Leaving one console on 24/7/365 would supposedly eat up as much energy as running two refrigerators for the same duration.
While you can't rebuild your console to make it more energy efficient, you can make an effort to keep strict control over it. Using energy-saving options, turning it off completely, or keeping your entertainment system on a power bar that you can turn off is a great start.
Game research and development is also a huge energy sucker, but the pressure has been on lately for companies to green up their act.
Which console is the greenest? The Wii consumes significantly less energy than its competitors, and many of its games are educational, environmentally-minded, and encourage activity.
4. The break-down
The last place your console should end up is a landfill. Instead, recycle it, and earn some cash back!
Comments [0]
Tips for a Green Thanksgiving
10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
Green Gift Ideas: Beauty Gift Sets
