Myths About Green Technology: Green Technology Articles: Eco20/20

Myths About Green Technology

With the advent of greener tech, naturally there is much speculation. In many cases, rumors get circulated; myths are born, and eventually may even find a home in mainstream culture.

Myth number 1: "It will always cost way more."

In many cases, green technology does indeed initially cost more. However, in many cases, such as with home energy generating solutions like solar panels or wind generators, the costs can be lowered by government tax incentives or selling surplus energy to the utility company. In other cases, simply saving energy can pay the difference given the right amount of time. This is not always true, however, and one should carefully consider his or her budget when planning to upgrade to greener technology. Unfortunately, as is the case with greener cars, the buyer will not see the fuel savings during their ownership of the vehicle.

Myth number 2: "Greener is always better!"

Greener is newer and better for the environment, so naturally, it should be better for you right? Not always the case. Green technology takes time to develop, and as such, some products that claim to be "better for the environment", such as hybrid cars, are only better than an extreme; In this example, hybrid cars are better perhaps, than an 8 ton SUV, but some gas-only compact car models are able to best hybrids in miles per gallon. Great care and research should be taken before making any purchase, especially in cases of environmental concern.

Myth number 3: "Leaving the computer on constantly consumes less power than turning it off/on."

A strange rumor has circulated which propagates the idea that turning your computer on or off on a required basis somehow not only harms the circuitry, but uses more power! There are no scientific reports of any kind to prove either of these things. A computer switched off naturally consumes less power. If you have no need to keep your machine running, you can confidently power it down until you have need of it again.

Myth number 4: "Only gardening folk can grow their own food."

Simply not true! Many "grow your own herb kits" are on the market which require very little maintenance or space, and can grow quite well if taken care of properly. Figure out which herbs you use the most, and try to grow them yourself. You'll not only save money by avoiding those horribly priced herb bottles, you'll have fresh herbs and spices at your disposal right when you need them! When they're ripe, you also have the added option of using them fresh or drying them out. If you cook often, this could be a very smart move.

Myth number 5: "Bottled water is better than tap."

Unfortunately, vast marketing campaigns and rumors have kept this one alive. The plastics required to create water bottles create tons of CO2 in production, and even worse, most water bottles end up in a landfill. Also, bottled water runs through less stringent tests than your standard county tap water! If your tap tastes nasty, you can find home water filters for relatively decent prices (around 30 to 50 dollars) which will filter impurities from your home water source. To reduce strain on the environment, find a stainless steel bottle to hold your water in. This way, poisons from plastics won't leech into your water.