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Posted: 09/19/11 by Jonathan Spalter
There's long been talk -- and a shared social commitment -- to 'going green' and reducing our carbon footprint. But as U.S. leaders talk about the clean energy future, there's also rising angst around how much progress we can make in today's economic climate. Against a backdrop of bad news, from the economy to the weather, we now have much-needed good news from the Carbon Disclosure Project on how broadband can advance two shades of green -- boosting our economy and our environment.
The London-based non-profit recently released Building a 21st Century Communications Economy, a report exploring the correlation between the economic and environmental benefits of broadband, including fast-growing mobile connectivity. The bottom line? "The most competitive economies of tomorrow will be those that see the resource constraints we face today as an opportunity, and revolutionize the way they operate to generate increased value using fewer resources."
The report outlines that investment and deployment of fixed and mobile broadband can be a powerful driver of just such a transformation to a "dematerialized economy." It goes on to make the case for a strong push in the U.S. for universal connectivity to accelerate not only a healthier future for our planet, but also for our economy.
The report focuses on the fact that the broadband-fueled information, communications and technology industries are growing at a much faster pace than the overall economy. Between 2004 and 2006, the U.S. economy grew at about 3.2% per year. Yet the tech sector was in double-digits, expanding more than 11%, the report shows. And, tech continues to lead growth today where we need it most -- job creation. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics June jobs numbers noted a nationwide unemployment rate of 9.2%, compared to just 3.3% in the tech sector.
So how exactly can greater broadband connectivity help create jobs and green the planet? Among the report's key findings:
• Information and communications technology (ICT) could help the U.S. reduce greenhouse gas emissions annually by up to 22%, while also saving businesses and consumers up to $240 billion in reduced energy consumption costs.
• Broadband-based applications, such as teleconferencing and eco-friendly e-commerce, are leading the progress as they change how we live, work and do business. According to the American Consumer Institute, approximately 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be prevented over a 10-year period thanks to these applications. That energy savings adds up to 66% of annual U.S. oil imports.
The Carbon Disclosure Project rightly declares that we are in the middle of a "network driven communications revolution." And, it contains broad possibilities both for our economy and for the sustainability of our planet. To make the most of this opportunity, the group makes a powerful case for building out strong networks -- and ensuring all Americans can connect to them.
Just as our leaders ask Americans to connect and do their part for our economy and the environment, so should policymakers step up to the plate. From current efforts in Washington to reorient the Universal Service program around broadband connectivity to the urgent race that's underway to unlock more spectrum to ensure the mobile Internet can continue to grow and fuel innovation, Washington doesn't have to look far for reminders that the tools are well within our grasp to connect to a low-carbon future.
Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future, has been founding CEO of leading technology, media, and research companies, including Public Insight, Snocap, and Atmedica Worldwide. He served as an advisor to and spokesperson for Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration.
Mobile Future is a 501(c)(4) coalition comprised of and supported by technology businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to advocating for an environment in which innovations in wireless technology and services are enabled and encouraged. For a full list of members and sponsors and to learn more about the coalition, go to www.mobilefuture.org.
This article was originally published on Huffington Post.
Posted: 05/12/11 by Mobile Future Team
Embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle and reducing your energy consumption is simplified with these new apps highlighted in USAToday. From apps that monitor your electricity meter to apps that highlight green businesses in your area to apps that offer recycling tips, going green has never been easier or more enjoyable.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 01/03/11 by Mobile Future Team
For mobile users who made a new year’s resolution to be more green-friendly, here’s some good news:
Standardized mobile phone chargers are almost here! These will recharge your phone through a micro-USB connection and work with multiple phone brands. The result: less waste and hopefully consumer savings. The chargers will be available in Europe early this year. Count on them coming to the U.S. later this year.
It’s never been easier to donate your phone to a worthy cause. There’s Cellphonesforsoldiers.com and 911cellphonebank.org, which provides old phones to victim services organizations.
It’s also never been easier to get cash for your phone. Best Buy, Radio Shack and Gazelle.com all offer easy ways to get quick cash for that old handset.
As New York Times tech columnist David Pogue wrote about this issue Sunday, “There are steps you can take now, and there is some hope for longer-term change.”
Happy New Year!
Posted: 10/21/10 by Mobile Future Team
When it comes to the mobile world’s contributions to energy efficiency, we’ve talked before about important initiatives like device recycling and the benefits of telecommuting. But these are just two of the ways phone companies and service providers are working to reduce energy usage. Yesterday, the New York Times profiled “10 Ways Phone Companies are Going Green,” highlighting several laudable efforts popping up across the wireless ecosystem. Take a look!
Posted: 06/15/10 by Mobile Future Team
Fifty-seven days in, it seems like we are all constantly checking for the latest updates in the on-going Gulf Oil Spill crisis. With so much news to digest, it’s easy to feel out of the loop on the outcome of the last top-kill maneuver or the latest sound-byte from a Gulf Coast Fisherman. While some of us may be feeling out of touch, mobile-savvy aficionados are staying on top of the spill armed with nothing more than their wireless device.
Several apps have surfaced, providing mobile users with the most recent information regarding the leak including an interactive timeline and historical context from previous spills. For the ad-hoc journalist, users can post their own images of the spill and provide their own reports of “spill related damage”.
If you don’t have time to provide free reporting, you can still help out by making $10 donations to the National Wildlife Fund (NWF) by texting WILDLIFE to 20222.
Posted: 04/22/10 by Jonathan Spalter
Cross-posted from Huffington Post
Earth Day is this week so what better time to take stock of the ways that mobile products can help make a greener planet.
A 2009 national traffic survey concluded that Americans wasted 4.2 billion hours and 2.8 billion gallons of gas stuck in traffic jams. But some areas are starting to get a more efficient handle on traffic thanks to wireless. Take Los Angeles County, which has recently deployed a wireless monitoring system across more than 1,000 intersections.
The wireless system allows traffic managers to change traffic light timing instantly to reflect changing traffic conditions, including rush hour patterns and accidents. The result has been a reduction in commuting times by as much as 20 percent.
Speaking of saving gas, look at the environmental impact from the decision by Arizona Public Service (APS), Arizona's largest electric utility, to install wireless utility transmitters on homes and offices. With more than 160,000 wireless smart meters already installed, APS has estimated that its savings include 150,000 fewer field visits. The utility has committed to deploying about 1 million wireless meters by the end of 2012.
Even beyond green benefits of fewer trucks on the road, the integration of wireless monitoring systems into a home or building electrical system pays almost immediate dividends. Let's say you left on a week's vacation and forgot to turn off the AC or water heater. No problem: There are smartphone apps for different mobile operating systems that let you turn off (or on) the heating, AC, water heater, or security cameras. For a few options, click here.)
Closer to home, wireless technologies are increasingly saving patients from having to drive to a doctor's office, not to mention providing better care. For the elderly and the infirm especially, these can be major benefits.
Also encouraging, wireless users are also seeing more evidence of the convergence of mobile phone chargers, so that you won't need to throw out a charger when you switch phones. All the major phone manufacturers have committed to this by 2012 and it looks like consumers may not even have to wait that long.
But for all the benefits of recycling, the best way to help the environment is by giving your old phone to someone who needs it. Cell Phones for Soldiers is a great organization that will take your old phone, wipe off any data and uses the sale proceeds to purchase at least an hour of calling time for soldiers abroad.
Finally, are you the type who leaves your phone charging all night and then leaves the charger plugged in even after removing the phone? Based on research into "standby" electricity consumption by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, if there are 50 million phone adapters in the U.S. left plugged in all year, that uses more than 100 million kilowatts of electricity - or enough for the average yearly electrical needs of 25,000 Americans.
Take an Earth Day resolution right now: Unplug your chargers!
Posted: 04/05/10 by Mobile Future Team
The Environmental Protection Agency launched the second annual National Cell Phone Recycling Week today.
Device recycling is crucial not only in mitigating waste, but also in providing reusable materials that serve as the basis of new electronic models.
The EPA teamed up with eight phone manufacturers, retailers and other programs for National Cell Phone Recycling Week:
- AT&T
- Best Buy
- LG
- RecycleBank
- Samsung
- Sprint
- T-Mobile
- Verizon
We also want to call attention to Cell Phones for Soliders, a non-profit program that sends old cell phones to active service members, which we have previously highlighted on the Mobile Future blog.
Last year, Americans recycled 11.7 million phones to commemorate the week; this year, hopefully we can top that number.
Posted: 02/01/10 by Molly Kocour
Last week, we tweeted about a cellphone battery that would run on soda. While the idea of a soda-fueled cellphone is still highly conceptual, the New York Times highlights another environmentally-friendly method to charge the electronics in your life.
"The technology uses a photosenstive dye to start its energy production, much the way leaves use chlorophyll to begin photosynthesis. The dye-sensitized cells will be used to provide power for devices ranging from e-book readers to cellphones."
The cells are incorporated into panels that are sewn to a variety of accessories including: covers for e-readers, backpacks and sports bags, and will enable consumers to charge their electronics via a USB cord. You can read more of the article here.
Posted: 12/24/09 by Mobile Future Team
If you're in need of a holiday gift for that environmentally conscious mobile user who just got back from the summit in Copenhagen, here's a thought: a carbon-neutral phone from Motorola. According to the company, the plastic case of the Renew is made entirely of recycled water bottles and its packaging is made from 100 percent recycled material. Moreover, according to the CNet reviewers, it's actually a pretty decent phone.
Posted: 10/30/09 by Molly Kocour
Are you the kind that stresses because you occasionally leave your PDA plugged in all night and you're worried about the waste of electricity? Well, rest easy because it turns out that the impact on the environment is pretty minimal.
A recent WashPo
Green Lantern column, cites figures from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories to suggest that if you leave a typical mobile phone plugged in for eight unnecessary hours every night for a year, you'll waste about 6.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
That's about .15 percent of the average household's annual electricity usage. By comparison, swapping an incandescent light for a compact fluorescent could save about 125 kilowatt-hours.
So if you occasionally forget to unplug your phone when Conan comes on, don't sweat it. Your phone's energy usage is so low that it won't make much difference.
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Tags: Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Environment, Green Mobile, Innovation, Wireless Innovation, Green Technology