Mukhtar Ahmad Farooqi
Computer is the most powerful tool man has ever created.They also become a vital gadget in several sectors; railways, banking, electricity, telephone departments, shopping carts etc are just but a few of them.In the current world, it’s almost impossible to imagine that someone can live without computers. They have gained significance as they have improved the efficiency and productivity of work done.Personal Computers are bad for environment because they are not biodegradable and the parts and pieces will be around forever and are rarely recyclable. Environment pollution could be because of the defects in manufacturing techniques, disposal techniques for computers and components. There are toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing of computers and when we use informal disposing they put harmful impacts on our environment. So to save our environment and to reduce the harmful impacts of computers we need Green Computing also known as Green IT which is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT. Green computing is the ‘designing, manufacturing, using and disposing of computers and associated components such as monitors, printers, storage devices, etc., efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment.In simpler terms Green Computing is the study and practice of minimizing the environmental impact of computer system and related resources effectively and eco-friendly.It is an emerging concept towards reducing the hazardous material and save our environment from the harmful impacts of the computer, CPU, servers and other electronic devices.Green computing aims to attain economic viability and improve the way computing devices are used. Green IT practices include the development of environmentally sustainable production practices, energy-efficient computers and improved disposal and recycling procedures.
One of the earliest initiatives towards green computing was the voluntary labelling program known as ‘Energy Star’. It was conceived by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992to promote energy efficiency in hardware of all kinds. The Energy Star label has become a common sight, especially in notebook computers and displays.
The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry: reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product’s lifetime, the reliability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Green computing is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld systems to large-scale data centers. (Wikipedia) Government regulation is only a part of an overall green computing idea. The workhabits of computer users and businesses have to be modified to minimize adverse impact on the global environment.
To promote green computing concepts at all possible levels, the following four approaches are employed:
*Green use: Minimizing the electricity consumption of computers and their peripheral devices and using them in an eco-friendly manner
*Green disposal: Repurposing existing equipment or appropriately disposing of, or recycling, unwanted electronic equipment
*Green design: Designing energy-efficient computers, servers, printers, projectors and other digital devices
*Green manufacturing: Minimizing waste during the manufacturing of computers and other subsystems to reduce the environmental impact of these activities
Average computer users can employ the following tactics to make their computing usage more green:
*Use the hibernate or sleep mode when away from a computer for extended periods
*Buy energy-efficient notebook computers, instead of desktop computers
*Activate the power management features for controlling energy consumption
*Make proper arrangements for safe electronic waste disposal
*Turn off computers at the end of each day
*Refill printer cartridges, rather than buying new ones
*Instead of purchasing a new computer, try refurbishing an existing device which means manufacturing of new devices from old ones using recycling techniques.
Advantages of Green
Computing
* The major advantage is that this reduces the energy usage that controls the carbon dioxide emission.
*Uses less energy for electronic products during their produce, use and dispose.
The main aim of this type of computing is to reduce the unwanted and harmful effects of computers on environment by reducing air, water and soil pollution so as to have an amicable and sustainable relation with the environment.
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