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Deal of the Day by Lisa Scherzer (Author Archive)
7 Energy-Saving Eco-Gadgets
THE PUSH FOR all things "green" is gaining momentum and gadget makers are taking note. Not only are some companies cleaning up their acts through recycling efforts and other earth-friendly practices, but they're also creating some pretty nifty eco-gadgets while they're at it.
Americans purchase nearly three billion dry-cell batteries every year to power up their radios, toys, cellphones, watches, laptops and portable power tools, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That's a lot of heavy metals — mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel — just waiting to contaminate the environment. USBCell's double-A cell batteries offer an eco-friendly alternative. These rechargeable batteries don't even need a socket to juice up. Just pop on a special cap containing a built-in USB connector, plug it into a USB port on your computer, and the battery will charge in five hours. Even better: The USBCell can be reused hundreds of times.
Now you can find devices that promise to save energy, be fully recyclable or merely simplify your life. Just don't be fooled into thinking the makers of these gadgets are being 100% altruistic. They know there's plenty of money to be made. According to a 2007 holiday-spending survey by consulting firm Deloitte & Touche, nearly one in five people said they planned to purchase more eco-friendly products than in prior years, while 17% said they'd be willing to pay more for green gifts.
Among the latest in green offerings: wind-powered universal chargers, solar-paneled tote bags and a fully recyclable USB drive, to name a few. Of course, compared to their less eco-friendly counterparts, you'll pay a premium for these green gizmos. The payoff, though, comes in the form of peace of mind and, hopefully, a cheaper electricity bill.
For the environmentally-conscious, here are seven eco-friendly gadgets worth considering:
USBCell Rechargeable Double-A Batteries | $17.49
Americans purchase nearly three billion dry-cell batteries every year to power up their radios, toys, cellphones, watches, laptops and portable power tools, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That's a lot of heavy metals — mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel — just waiting to contaminate the environment. USBCell's double-A cell batteries offer an eco-friendly alternative. These rechargeable batteries don't even need a socket to juice up. Just pop on a special cap containing a built-in USB connector, plug it into a USB port on your computer, and the battery will charge in five hours. Even better: The USBCell can be reused hundreds of times.
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Posted: 9:02 AM EST July 12, 2008
Posted by: philipp10
Sagitt: I'm all for change if it a positive change. However, if you do a life cycle analysis of these gadgets, you will find they use an incredibly large amount of energy to manufacture and would actually use many times more energy to make than they will ever generate. YOU need to get yourself educated on green issues. How dare you point a finger at johnpesar. His comments are spot on. We need products that not only save energy in use but don't consume large amounts in manufacture. The exoribant price tags on these gadgets should have told you they are expensive and energy intensive to manufacture. Do you really think the worlds 6 billion people can afford a $300 purse?
Posted: 4:20 PM EST July 10, 2008
Posted by: germanjerry
I think what these comments are trying to say is 'show us something useful!'. Something that stops air leaks from the attic like an Attic Tent does, or something that stops air leakage through the fireplace like the Chimney Balloon. Or an attic fan that saves energy and is easy to install because it is solar. The public is not as interested in the novel ideas right now as we are interested in the useful and money saving ideas.
Posted: 12:41 PM EST June 19, 2008
Posted by: sagitt
You people are obviously scared of change and afraid to admit that there are people out there actually trying to make a difference. Go home turn on the air conditioning, the TV and every light on in the house after you come back with your number 10 and a diet Coke, you lazy fat unappreciative....you know the rest
Posted: 1:37 PM EST June 08, 2008
Posted by: johnpesar
It's hard to imagine people actually get paid to research this junk and then hawk it with a positive spin. A rechargable battery you plug into a PC's USB port? A fan that charges when you ride a bicycle? $50.00 for a power strip? A purse with a solar panel. A 11 inch TV that costs $2500. Come on SmartMoney. Most of this junk eventually ends up in the 99 cents only store, or the dump.
Posted: 4:15 PM EST April 14, 2008
Posted by: Belljar84
I agree with Phil...This article was not informative at all. The idea of spending more resources on making consumer products that you don't actually need just irks me...
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