Amazon's Kindle Greener Than Printed Books?

If Amazon's Kindle is on your wishlist for this holiday season, you might end up greener than your book buying friends and family.

Cleantech Group found in a study that e-readers could have a major impact on improving the sustainability and environmental impact of the publishing industry, one of the world’s most polluting sectors. In 2008, the U.S. book and newspaper industries combined resulted in the harvesting of 125 million trees, not to mention wastewater that was produced or its massive carbon footprint.

The Cleantech Group’s report, The Environmental Impact of Amazon's Kindle, found that, while e-readers are still a niche technology with a little more than 1 million units sold to date, they could have a more positive impact on the environment in the future. The report indicates that, on average, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of a Kindle is fully offset after the first year of use. The Cleantech Group forecasts that devices like the Kindle and Sony's Reader purchased from 2009 to 2012 could prevent 5.3 billion kg of carbon dioxide in 2012, or 9.9 billion kg during the four-year time period.

Learn more about the study's findings here: Cleantech Group report: E-readers a win for carbon emissions.

TXU Energy Earns the ENERGY STAR® for Superior Energy Efficiency

TXU Energy recently announced that it has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) prestigious ENERGY STAR for its corporate headquarters. The designation is a national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. This signifies that the building's energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide.

TXU Energy implemented numerous energy efficiency steps that earned the ENERGY STAR rating, including a retrofit of the parking garage to LED lights, upgrade of the building automation system lighting controls, and improved operating procedures.

Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, and warehouses.

To learn more about the program, check out The ENERGY STAR for Buildings and Plants.

Even With DVR, Many Still Watch Commercials

I like to consider myself one of the kings of DVR. I have heard a few people say that they avoid DVR because they thought it would make them spend more time watching TV. Honestly, I think it's cut down on my time in front of the tube, mainly because I'm able to get on and speed through the commercials or material I don't want to see. With sports especially, you can use the fast-forward function to skip timeouts, officiating breaks, foul shots and more. In fact, my brother hates watching sports with me because of how much of the game I fly through.

With all of that in mind, it was especially surprising for me to hear a startling statistic out of The Atlantic today: 46% of people don't skip commercials with DVR. Say what? Apparently, regardless of whether or not they can skip ads, many viewers still consider TV watching to be a passive activity. I mean, I'm all for hanging out and relaxing on the couch, but surely pressing the fast-forward button isn't kicking the interactivity up too much?

As DVR gained ground over the last few years, it seemed to spell doom for the television network advertising model, but this goes against that idea. I'd be curious to find out what commercials people are stopping for, or if people are  using the time during commercials to take care of other tasks while they watch their program. What about you guys, do you skip commercials or watch them with DVR?

Source- The Atlantic

7 Reasons to Keep Your Landline Phone

These days, it seems like everyone is ditching their home phone and relying exclusively on their cell phones for their communication needs. But, before you decide to join the party, check out these things your trusty landline can do that a cell phone can’t.

• Make long distance calls without paying an arm and a leg – Cell phones typically have very high long distance rates. If you have to call out of state or out of country often, you might save big by using your landline to make those calls.

• Keep your DVR working – It’s true, DVRs need to gather programming data, and most use a landline for this. If your DVR requires a local phone line, shutting off your phone service may force you to watch your favorite show live, like we did back in the dark ages.

• Stay connected during a disaster – As anyone who lived through Hurricane Ike here in Houston can tell you, cell phone availability during an emergency is anything but solid. Having a landline gives you a reliable way to make contact during a disaster.

• Ensure people can understand what you’re saying – Call quality on cell phones hasn’t quite caught up with what’s available on landlines. Make sure your friends and family don’t get a mixed message by making calls with your landline while you’re home.

• Allow emergency operators to locate you 100 percent of the time– While strides have been made towards updating cell phone and 911 systems so that operators can locate the source of an emergency call made with a cell phone, not all systems are ready. If you make a 911 call with a landline, the operator can always locate you.

• Save on cellular overage charges – For most people, it’s quite easy to go over their monthly allotment of cell phone minutes. A landline can help ease the burden on your poor, overworked cellular plan.

• Keeping your home protection system connected – If you currently have a home protection system, chances are it’s hardwired into your landline system. In that case, discontinuing your phone service will also disconnect your alarm system.