The home or office computer has become the most-used electrical device in most parts of the world and the idea of turning off your computer every time you take a break or are not using it is out of the question. The time required to shut down and restart does not leave many options, and even the power-saving modes on most computers waste a large amount of power.
With this in mind, inventors at ecobutton.com have developed an add-on that plugs into any USB port. The button itself sits atop your desk or workstation and is graphically designed to remind you of the importance of reducing carbon emissions.
The software used with the Ecobutton allows the user to place the computer in a unique kind of stand-by mode which only allow the computer and monitor to use the same amount of power as if they were turned off. With one touch of the Ecobutton, the computer instantly returns to where the user left off. There is no need to shut down programs or turn off switches.
The Ecobutton software also tracks your power savings. Although it may not seem that a lot of electrical power and carbon emissions would be saved, the numbers can be amazing. According to its inventors, a single home computer using the Ecobutton can reduce electrical costs by $30-$50 per annum.
In the US alone, there are 60 million home computers. If all of them used the Ecobutton regularly, carbon emissions could fall by an astounding 8.4 million tonnes per annum.
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