One of the most important movements of recent times is the growing concern for the environment. People are seeing and becoming aware of the negative environmental impacts of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. This is because they use and misuse energy resources that come from fossil fuels like petroleum and its byproducts to make things like cars and planes run.
This growing green awareness is slowly influencing people’s shopping habits, many of whom now prefer green and energy-efficient appliances. As a result, more and more eco-friendly or green gadgets are coming onto the market with the latest technologies that are innovative and safe for the environment. The following describes 10 of the best green gadgets available that can save you both money and the planet.
Solar chargers
Solar-powered chargers are eco-friendly ways to charge your cell phones and other tech gadgets using the power of the sun. Instead of USB cables plugged into a computer or a wall outlet adapter, solar panels are used instead, which would be enough to generate enough watts to charge your gadgets. Please make sure the connector or adapter for these solar chargers is compatible with your gadgets.
Led lamps
Compact Fluorescent Light, or CFL, bulbs created a buzz a few years ago as a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to standard incandescent bulbs and light fixtures. Now there are LED lights on the market that are even more energy efficient and use only half the energy required by CFLs. Not only that, LED lamps are more environmentally friendly as they do not contain the mercury typical of CFL lamps and they emit only a negligible amount of CO2. *
Lights for Growing
Plants are known to grow better with a light source, but it may not be economical to run these lights for an extended period of time and would cumulatively emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Using LEDs for your grow lights would be more environmentally friendly and economical, as they only use a fraction of the energy required by standard bulbs. These LED grow lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so make sure you choose products that will fit well in your garden. *
Solar backpacks
Wouldn’t it be cool to have a stylish backpack that you can take anywhere and charge your cell phones and other gadgets at the same time? Compact and lightweight, these backpacks come in a variety of colours and trims to suit your style and preference. The bag and built-in solar panels are waterproof and designed for the conditions of the outdoors, making them great for camping and hiking. *
Water powered clock
Imagine a timekeeping gadget that only runs on water and a dash of salt—no batteries needed! Not only are these great desktop accessories safe for the environment, but they are also very stylish and come in a variety of colours and designs to suit your style and preference. There
are now new innovative yet eco-friendly ways to charge your mobile devices and similar gadgets without having to plug them into a power outlet. One type of charger lets you pull a string attached to a small flywheel that generates up to 5 watts of electricity. Another charger has a loop charging mechanism that can be attached to an electric bicycle so that it can recharge itself during use. *
USB batteries: Alkaline
batteries use corrosive chemicals that are harmful to the environment, so it’s better to use rechargeable batteries instead to power all your hi-tech gadgets. USB batteries take it a step further by including a built-in charger that can even be powered by the small 250mA current of a universal serial bus. *
Wooden Headphone
Want an innovative yet eco-friendly way to listen to your favourite music? Wooden headphones are great green gadgets for this because they are free from polluting PVC and use recycled wood. Compatible with most MP3 players, computers, iPhones, iPods, and CD/DVD players, these headphones deliver clear, high-quality sound. A wireless
solar keyboard
Wireless keyboards are great and useful tools to add to your computer accessories, but having the solar-powered versions would be good for the environment as they don’t require chemically charged batteries and use clean energy straight from the sun. This innovative keyboard, which works on 2.4 GHz wireless technology, comes in a recyclable box and is completely free from environmentally polluting PVC materials. *
Kill-A-Watt Wireless Monitor Carbon Footprint Meters
Planning to have a truly “green” office or home? The Kill-A-Watt Wireless Monitor Carbon Footprint Meter can help you calculate and monitor your energy usage per day, week, month, or even up to a year. These devices can do this well over a wireless range of 300 feet and can send data in different units of measurement.
Technology has made people’s lives easier for years, but people’s use of technology has had serious consequences for the environment. Now the same technology is coming up with hi-tech gadgets that are both innovative and environmentally friendly. With these green gadgets, you can get a jump start on protecting the environment-and you can start with these top 10 trends.
