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Topics about preserving the environment are so popular these days. Many companies all over the world are now creating measures to be more environment-friendly. One of the good practices to save mother earth is to buy a laptop instead of a desktop PC. A laptop is a compact version of a desktop PC, which means that parts and components are smaller. Making smaller parts will mean less harmful emissions from the manufacturing plants. And in terms of disposal, a laptop will mean lesser waste compared to the desktop PC. Another good thing to note is the fact that many laptop makers today are now complying with environmental standards such as Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment and Restrictions of Hazardous Substances.
Recently a non-profit organization thought of a concept to build an affordable laptop for students from developing countries. The organization came up with the One Laptop per Child project, which developed a low-cost and low-power laptop for these students. The laptop is called XO-1 and it runs Linux. The laptop is low-powered, which means that it consumes less energy, good for the environment. It is a small laptop, which means manufacturing it will not need so much resource that can ruin the environment.
But despite the advances in the world of green laptops, there are still many issues that need to be addressed in order to manufacture an even more eco-friendly laptop. In the 2009, sales of laptops worldwide are expected to surpass desktop pcs for the first time ever. The average person will keep a laptop for only three years before it is tossed in the closet or tossed in the garbage, which presses the issue for an even more recyclable laptop. Some issues that still need addressed and some possible solutions:
1. Problem: Most laptop housing nowadays are made of petroleum-filled plastics. Solution: Plastics or polymer is an old technology that is still evolving until now. Maybe scientists can design a polymer that can easily decompose; this should not be far from reality.
2. Problem: Like any other electronic devices a laptop is dependent on electric power. Solution: Harness the power from the sun. As of today we can already see electronic devices that are powered by solar energy. This will definitely be possible with laptops.
3. Problem: Lead products in the waste. Solution: As mentioned above, the European Union has enacted legal restrictions on lead. President Bush has also followed suit with standards for American lead use.
4. Problem: Spinning hard drives. Solution: Use of flash memory hard drives. With the use of this type of hard drive, there will be no excessive usage of watts due to the moving parts of the hard drive. This helps reduce energy usage to up to 10 percent. This year, Dell has introduced a laptop that offers a 32 GB solid-state hard drive.
Environmental preservation is really a serious issue. The business community is doing its best to promote environmental awareness. The laptop industry also does its share by awarding the most environment friendly laptop. The award goes to several laptops like the XO-1, Toshiba Portage R500, HP 2710p, Lenovo Thinkpad X300 and the Dell D630.
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