Computer care, the eco way

Daksha Hathi offers tips on maintaining computers and laptops in an environmentally friendly way

HAS your cat decided to sit on your computer, to drive you crazy? Never mind, there are many ways to clean it up and care for it safely. Here are some ways:

• Cotton buds are not just good for cleaning your ears. You can use them to clean the ball of your computer mouse with a cotton bud dampened with alcohol.

• Even to clean between computer keys you can use cotton buds.

• One computer owner found that her printer feed appeared to be shredding the continuous-roll paper edges. She looked into the paper box and found cat hair in it. She then found her cat nesting in the paper. Now she keeps it out of the reach of her pet.

Be kind to your computer and keep it out of the sunlight. And away from your pets, especially cats who love paper and the warmth that computers provide. If your television or computer catches fire, here is the first thing to do—pull the plug out or turn off the main fuse box. Cover the TV with a blanket or rug. Remember never to throw water over it, as there could be a danger from the residual electricity.

If you care for the environment, remember that discarded computer paper is good for creating compost in the garden. So are newspapers, junk mail and old letters.

It is better for your computer circuits to be turned on and left on for the day than turned off and on many times. Each time you turn on your computer you have a surge of power going through it. Use your computer more instead of using paper pads to leave messages through electronic mail. Recycle your own waste paper internally into message pads and internal memos, and take waste office paper home to use as scratch pads.

Encourage your company to buy recycled paper for use as stationery and envelopes. Recycling one ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, enough to supply the daily water needs of almost 30 households.

Use a laptop computer. Laptop computers use 10 to 30 per cent less energy than other equipment for offices where word processing is the primary computer need.

Remember that heat can damage your laptop. Never leave it in the car in the summer. Store it away from light and heat sources like windowsills, hot desk lamps, and
heating/cooling vents.

Computers in older homes may suffer from electrical problems. Get your main power lines checked. The drains caused by microwave ovens, freezers, refrigerators and other new gadgets, can affect your electrical systems which in turn could damage your computers by power surges and outages. Consumer courts have had several complaints from angry house owners whose computers have crashed due to power surges.

Try keeping self-stick notes near your computer or laptop so you can stick them on the nearby wall to remind you of copy changes, new names of documents, things to be done, etc. if you don’t want to interrupt your train of thought.

• Tinted lenses in your eyeglasses can reduce glare from computer screens. Use brown tints to reduce the glare of green text and blue-tinted lenses for amber text.

• Take a break from your computer every now and then to walk around, stretch your legs, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, and refocus your eyes.

• If your chair is too high or your legs are too short, try your phone book as a footstool. Or you could wear wooden clogs or thick-soled shoes when working. Keep them always near your computer table.

• Do you really need sprays to clean your telephone? Cleaning chemicals can be more harmful than your own germs. Aerosol cleaners are mixed with highly toxic disinfectants, which should not be inhaled in excessive amounts. You would be smarter wiping your telephones with a clean, damp cloth. It is cheaper and healthier.

Computers that can monitor performance are putting extra pressure on workers to slog more and more. Make sure your chair is angled correctly in front of the VDT. Take a break between typing and do not be coaxed into excessive speeds for typing.

Get a shield or filter for your VDT. Computer terminals and VDT’s have caused health problems for workers as they emit low-level radiation. They have also been linked to increasing numbers of miscarriages and other illnesses, including headaches, skin rashes etc. Ask for a filter screen on the office computer and take a break every one hour, when working on a computer.

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