Four Ways Technology Can Help (NAPSA)—There are things you can do year-round to help save the environment. It is common knowledge that reducing the amount of paper used and the amount of time we spend in our cars is important, but many don’t know how easy and inexpensive these steps can be. According to TheDailyGreen. com, Americans consume about 700 pounds of paper per person per year—everything from napkins and take-out boxes to gift wrapping and cardboard. So how can we reduce our impact on the environment? One wayis through technology. Although somepeople go so far as to advocate e-mailing wedding invitations or Christmas cards instead of sending paper ones, there are some more subtle ways you can help reduce your environmental impact and still save time and money. Here are a few ways technology can help: 1. Help your team go paperless. Many companies use expen- sive technology to manage the amount of paper they use but there are free options available for everyone. Free online storage sites like Microsoft Office Live Workspace (www.officelive.com) can help your team go paperless. They provide an easy way to keep track of your Little League schedule or the car-pool rotation and give you the ability to update itemsin real time. There is no needto print out schedules, because everyone can log on to see if there are updates. 2. Online research saves time and money. In today’s economy, everyoneis looking for a deal, @ and getting the most out of your money often requires research. With the prevalence of retail Web sites, you can now research online instead of driving around town to compare prices. Researching online saves you time and money and reduces the amount of time you spendin yourcar. 3. Download software instead of buying a box. Advances in technology and improved Internet speed have madeit easier to download software for your computer than to drive to a store to buy the samething in a box. This helps reduce packaging waste. One popular software download is Microsoft Office 2007 (www.store.microsoft.com). According to research, one digital download of Microsoft Office is equivalent to saving the emissions from one gallon of gas; 10 million digital downloads are equivalent to 18,008 cars not driven for one year. 4. Use your computer’s power management tools. Use the power management tools in your computer’s control panel to select energy-reducing settings. If you and nine of your friends do this, it becomes the equivalent of taking one car off the road. Another way to reduce your computer’s energy consumption is to stop using screen savers and instead blank your screen. This will save energy and extend thelife of your monitor. These are just some of the ways technology can help reduce your impact on the environment. If we all do our part, together, we can make every day Earth Day.
