Earth Day: Try.

Here's a simple idea.  When you're not using your computer (like you are right now), turn it off. Not put it to sleep, actually turn it off.

In someone else's words, here's why:
"A typical PC consumes something like 300 watts. Let's assume that you use your PC for four hours every day, so the other 20 hours it is on would be wasted energy. If electricity costs 10 cents per kilowatt-hour in your area, then that 20 hours represents 60 cents a day. Sixty cents a day adds up to $219 per year.

­It's possible to use the energy-saving features build into modern machines and cut that figure in half. For example, you can have the monitor and hard disk power down automatically when not in use. You'll still be wasting $100 per year. "

The argument for leaving your computer on all the time is that turning it on and off somehow stresses the computer's components. For example, when the CPU chip is running, it can get quite hot, and when you turn the machine off it cools back down. The expansion and contraction from the heat probably has some effect on the solder joints holding the chip in place, and on the micro-fine details on the chip itself. But here are three ways to look at that:

    * If it were a significant problem, then machines would be failing all the time. In fact, hardware is very reliable (software is a whole different story, and there is a lot to be said for rebooting every day).
    * I don't know a single person who leaves the TV on 24 hours a day. TVs contain many of the same components that computers do. TVs certainly have no problems being cycled on and off.
    * Most vendors will sell you a three-year full-replacement warrantee for about $150. If you are worried about it, spend some of the money you are saving by turning your machine off and buy a service contract. Over three years, you come out way ahead!"

Of course, there are those who snort and say: I don't need to worry about energy usage; I don't pay for it.  May be true.  You still are wasting energy during an energy crisis.  At the current time, there is a finite amount of electricity in the world.  90% of our power still comes from things like coal and oil.  Given that, do you think that keeping your computer on all night when you're not using it is the best use of that limited power.  Perhaps it could be going to a research station for scientists to use in their quest for cheap solar panels.  And, obviously, if lazy people continue to waste power so heedlessly, that's that much quicker we'll run out of it.

So, as someone who is required to share this planet with you, I ask, respect it.  If you are going to be away from your computer for more than an hour or two, turn it off.  Yes, it may take a minute or two to boot back up again, but honestly, like you don't have a minute or two.

We all live here together.  We're planetmates.  When you waste electricity, it's like drinking all the OJ and putting the empty carton back in the fridge.  It kind of pisses the rest of us off.