Eco Geek: Why Gaming is Green

Hank Green of EcoGeek.org is sick of people saying that geeks adversely impact the environment, and he’s telling us why in a series called ‘Why Geeks are Greener’.  Geeks are often accused of being less than environmentally responsible because of ‘power-sucking computers, toxic game consoles, and general disinterest in the outdoors’. But, in the first installment of ‘Why Geeks are Greener’, Hank’s telling us why gaming – a popular geek activity – is greener than you think.

From Eco Geek:

1. Children don’t need boyscouts to care about global warming. I will fully admit to have been affected greatly in my experiences in the outdoors. But saying that caring about the environment is dependent on experiencing nature is like saying that caring about sex is dependent upon talking to girls. Just because you haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean you don’t want to do all you can to protect your chances at having a healthy future with it.

Protecting nature isn’t about loving nature anymore, it’s about liking the idea of life continuing on the planet.

2. Gaming isn’t that power intensive. Depending on what kind of system you have, your console might draw as much power as a CFL, or an incandescent lightbulb. Yes, the Wii is far more efficient than the XBox 360, but even the 360 only pulls a maximum of 150 watts. It’s just not that much power, especially because neither pull much power at all when they’re off. And the act of gaming itself, it turns out, is quite good for the environment.

That’s just a taste – get the rest at EcoGeek.org.

Well said, Mr. Green. Three cheers for geeks!

Link [Eco Geek]
Photo credit: Nerdfighters

Energy Star Eyes Power-Hogging Gaming Consoles

Gaming consoles have gotten a rep for energy hogging as of late, and Energy Star is finally starting to take notice. The new 5.0 Energy Star requirements will set more stringent standards for the power consumption of the devices, including Wii, Xbox and Playstation.  The Playstation 3 was in the news over the summer for reportedly using five times more energy in a year (turned off!) than an average-sized refrigerator.

From Treehugger:

The draft of the 5.0 version (not online yet) hopes to encourage manufacturers to get serious about better designs right quick to help limit the energy use of these widely used devices.

With an effective date of July 1, 2010, manufacturers should have some time between the new standards set in 2009 and the next round of consoles coming off the lines in 2010 to create energy efficient devices.

The new requirements include using less than one watt during off mode, and less than 5 watts during sleep or auto-off mode. The consoles will have to power down to sleep mode after an hour of inactivity. Also, Set Top Box and DVD/Blu Ray/Movie playback functions have to come within 10% of the Energy Star set top box requirements set out in April of this year.

It’s about time. We’re glad Energy Star is finally taking a look at this problem so all of the eco geek gamers out there can get back to playing Star Wars: KOTOR without guilt.

Link [Treehugger]