Welcome to The Digital Environment! The Internet has changed our world dramatically, and not always for the better. Here you can learn about environmental issues related to computers and the Internet and what you can do to minimize your environmental impact.
Trey
Cyber Defender &
Message Center Supervisor
As an environmental activist, Trey believes that technology has the potential to improve our world, but only if it is used and created responsibly. He encourages people to become aware of their actions and to make simple changes in their lives that will have a big impact on the environment.
A recent graduate of the Academy (class of '07), Trey runs the Message Center in Cyberspace. He loves communicating via email because it is quick, easy, and reduces paper waste.
Favorite Quote:
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
- John Muir
Vegetable Curry
Interests:Ultimate frisbee, Gardening, Recycling trash into treasure
March 23 2008
Earth Day
Dana and I have spent a lot of time talking about how to get people to change the way they think and act toward the environment. It seems like the hardest part of transitioning is not getting the technology up to speed but getting people to care enough to want to change.
She and I have both come to the conclusion that sometimes people just need a little incentive, a little carrot to go for. That's why we decided to have a technotrash fundraiser. From our perspective, we're getting the community involved in recycling, spreading awareness about technotrash, and properly disposing of people's technotrash. From their perspective, they are cleaning out their attics and making a little money on the side, so we can have a party. Everybody wins. Hopefully, everyone feels good about taking better care of the environment and wants to do so more in the future.
posted by Trey
topic: Miscellaneous
March 18 2009
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The paperless workplace
Back when personal computers first became popular, people thought that the office of the future would have no need for paper. Everyone would have a computer, and every document would be digital. This was great news for environmentalists because trees would no longer get cut down to make into paper than just ends up in the trash again.
Today, while it's true that in many offices use digital documents, this doesn't seem to have reduced the use of paper that much. Printers and photocopiers have become less expensive over time and make it very easy to produce documents rapidly and in large quantities. In fact, they make it much easier to waste paper!
We might not be able to stop using paper completely just yet, but we can be smarter about how we use it. Here are a few ideas:
- Think twice about printing documents, email messages, pictures, and things you find on the Web. If it really doesn't need to be on paper, save a digital copy or a screenshot instead. A digital copy is just as easy to share with others, and you won't be wasting paper or ink on something that's going to get thrown away.
- Try to buy paper that is made from recycled post-consumer paper. You probably won't notice a difference, but the trees and landfills sure will.
- Recycle the paper that you do use. Many different types of paper can be recycled, including office paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, cardboard, and phone books.
- Get as much use as you can out of your paper. Re-use junk mail envelopes for grocery lists, use the back of paper that's been printed on as scratch or doodle paper, and turn newspapers into gift wrap and craft projects.
- If your school doesn't have a paper recycling program, talk to your teachers about starting one. You'd be surprised how much paper gets used at school every day!