If this is your first time here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You may also want to checkout our list of organizations and books if you want to learn more about what this site is about.

What makes a computer not green? Many things. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, they are full of toxic materials. All of them. Gobs of nasty chemicals that seep into the ground or get sent up into the air when burnt. Even those that have moderately reduced amounts are still poisonous. Dell’s computers, for example, have a somewhat smaller amount of toxic metals and plastics than their competition, but they still have enough to matter. Many of those computers are still winding up in landfills or as scraps to be scavenged for precious metals overseas. Secondly, the amount of fossil fuels burnt in the process of manufacture the computer (not to mention mining the materials from the earth in the first place) is not in the slightest earth friendly.

The problem is of course compounded, when you realize that I am only an informed consumer because I have easy access to resources easily (and sometimes only) found on the internet. I can link you up to all sort of info on environmentally abusive businesses, green things of this and that ilk because I’m lucky enough to have a computer that I can sit down at any time and access information quickly and without cost. But what if I didn’t have it? What if I wasn’t so lucky to be able to afford access to information about the things that are important to me?

Thankfully, there are people who are thinking about this issue. One such company is Zonbu. The company claims to be the first company to design an “environmentally responsible” computer that is high quality and very affordable (as far as computers go.) Zonbu is not only a PC, but a service as well, including online storage space, and comes with numerous open-source (free) software programs including Mozilla programs and OpenOffice (Microsoft Office’s competent and free competition.) But for many, even the $99 (see the Zonbu website for pricing details) is a little daunting. Lets face it, not everybody can spare $99. For many people that’s still a inaccessible price to pay, who cares if it’s earth friendly or not (and remember, it isn’t a zero-footprint computer, just a smaller footprint computer.) But at least it’s a step in the right direction.

I don’t know if this company is going to stick around, or even all of their philosophies and ethics, but I think they’re addressing some important, and generally unacknowledged problems: Economic access to modern tools as well as the problem of those tools being toxic. This is rare in a company, isn’t it? Also, they have a free take-back policy when it comes time to buy a new one. And they are very customizable.

For you tech-geeks, here’s a rundown of what comes out of the box.
* Intel-compatible ultra-low power CPU
* 512 MB RAM + 4GB flash-based local storage
* Graphics up to 2048 x 1536 (16 million colors, 75 Hz). Hardware graphics and MPEG2 acceleration
* PC-compatible ports for keyboard and mouse
* 6 USB ports to plug-and-play all standard USB accessories
* Broadband ready: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet built-in

For you earth-geeks, here’s a rundown of what comes out of the box.

At just over two pounds, Zonbu device consumes at least four times fewer chemicals and fossil fuels during manufacturing than conventional desktop PCs. Moreover, the Zonbu manufacturing process complies with the high standards of the European RoHS Directive. This restricts hazardous substances in electronic equipment, including cadmium, mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium and certain brominated flame retardants.

Zonbu’s ultra low power design combined with carbon offsets makes it a zero-emission computer. The Zonbu device consumes only about one third of the energy used by a typical light bulb — and yet it has plenty of power for all your bright ideas. By using Zonbu rather than a conventional desktop PC, you reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by almost a ton every year! To completely eliminate the carbon footprint of your Zonbu device, we buy regulatory grade carbon offsets from Climate Trust, a top-ranked provider. You may read their report here (PDF).

Some of the information about Zonbu was originally found at TechSoup Blog, a great site about technology for nonprofits.

[tags]computer, zonbu, affordable, environmentally friendly, green[/tags]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!