If you have not made the switch to HDTV, then you probably know someone who has or you have at least made a trip to your local bar or pub to watch the Monday night game in high definition. Remarkably, even though HDTV’s average a larger screen size than the previous generation of televisions, they require less materials to build and have a smaller foot print on the environment when they have reached the end of their life-cycle.

The European Union has already developed a program to “Eco-label” HDTV’s and it has been successful in setting the standard for eco-friendly manufacturers around the world.

Requirements for the EU Eco-label for television sets include:
* Consumption on standby below 1 watt
* Low electricity consumption when in use
* Recommendations for correct environmentally-conscious usage
* Designed for higher durability and materials with better recycling ability
* Availability of electronic replacement parts for at least seven years after the end of production

HDTV can be broadcast through a special subscription with your local cable provider. Many, however, do not realize that you can receive HD signals free of charge using a traditional tv antenna. Unlike the antennas used by our parents, new antennas are made from lighter, more resilient and more environmentally friendly materials.

For more information on receiving free HDTV, check out the Boston Globe free hdtv article.

Applying earth friendly, sustainable principles to your bathroom décor is simple and affordable. Green bathrooms are more than just a passing fad; they are becoming the standard in most new homes. Most importantly, applying green building principles to bathroom design addresses one of the biggest environmental concerns today; that of water sustainability. Daily house hold water usage by Americans averages 69.3 gallons of water per person per day. By simply switching to low-flow toilets and faucets, this amount can be cut in half.

Here are some additional tips to keep your bathroom in the green:

•Pay close attention to the materials used when selecting counter tops, flooring, and shower enclosures. Instead of vinyl, use linoleum which is derived from wood flour, resins and linseed oil; all of which are renewable and non-toxic.

•Consider using recycled materials. Most metropolitan areas have reclamation centers that are government funded or associated with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

•Use low flow plumbing. Older toilets use 5 gallons per flush. New low flow models do the same job using only 1.6 gallons.

Applying green principles to your everyday life insures that future generations will have access to the same resources in the future that we take advantage of today.

If you are a frequent traveler, then you have probably noticed that more and more hotels are going "green" and making a point to let their customers know about it. Green hotels are those that promote conservation of water, energy, and solid waste. This requires a firm commitment from owners and managers and includes such steps as placing placards in rooms asking customers to re-use their sheets and towels. This alone can save 5% in water consumption used for laundry.

While preparing for a recent business trip, I was looking for a green Switzerland hotel accommodation and was pleased to see that one of my favorite Swiss hotel chains, Sorellino Hotels, is a member of the Green Hotels Association. It is no surprise that the Swiss would lead the way in conservation and sustainability. The Swiss have always been successful in balancing the needs of the environment with the ongoing human development. An example of this concept in action is the network of hydro electric damns which provide 60% of Switzerland's power.

Before making your next Switzerland hotel reservations check the Green Hotels Association for a current list of all international participants in the program. Every time we support a green hotel or other business, we are one step closer to achieving an environmentally sustainable world economy.

Many computer and software manufacturers have made great strides in cutting the amount of non-sustainable and toxic materials used in the development of their products. Unfortunately the developer of your favorite console or shooting games may not be doing their part to help the environment.

Greenpeace releases a yearly report rating technology companies and tracking their improvements in sustainable environmental practices. Many of the large companies, such as Sony and Samsung rate strongly, and continue to improve. But many companies are late to the game and will have a long struggle to catch up. Nintendo, which develops fun games such as Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports, was the first global company to ever score zero across the board.

Greenpeace Ratings

BEST

• 7.7 Sony Ericsson - New leader due to improved takeback reporting, new models PVC free, but falls down on takeback practice.
• 7.7 Samsung - Big improvements, with products free of the worst toxic chemicals. Loses points for incomplete takeback practice.
• 7.3 Sony - products free of toxic PVC and improved reporting on recycling and takeback especially in the US.
• 7.3 Dell - Unchanged since the last version, still no products on the market without the worst chemicals.
• 7.3 Lenovo - Unchanged since the last version, still no products on the market without the worst chemicals.
• 7 Toshiba - Much improved on toxic chemicals but still lobbies in the US for regressive takeback policies.
• 7 LGE - Unchanged since the last version, need better takeback for products other than phones.
• 7 Fujitsu-Siemens - Unchanged since the last version, needs toxic elimination timelines, better takeback coverage and reporting of amounts recycled.
• 6.7 Nokia- A steep fall! Strong on toxic chemicals but penalty point deducted for deficiencies in takeback practice in Thailand, Russia and Argentina during our testing.
• 6.7 HP - Finally provided timelines for eliminating worst toxic chemicals, though not for all products; needs to improve takeback coverage.
• 6 Apple - Slightly improved with new iMacs and some iPods reducing the use of toxic chemicals, takeback program still needs work.
• 5.7 Acer - Unchanged since the last version, needs better takeback coverage and reporting of amounts recycled.
• 5 Panasonic - Unchanged since the last version, need better takeback coverage and reporting of amounts recycled.
• 5 Motorola - Big faller due to penalty point for poor takeback practice in Philippines, Thailand and India revealed by our testing. Still no timelines for eliminating the most harmful chemicals.
• 4.7 Sharp - New to the guide - some plus points on toxic chemicals elimination but poor takeback policy and practice.
• 2.7 Microsoft - New to the guide - long timeline for toxic chemicals elimination (2011) and poor takeback policy and practice.
• 2 Philips - New to the guide - no timeline for toxic chemicals elimination and zero points on e-waste policy and practice.
• 0 Nintendo - New to the guide - first global brand to score zero across all criteria!

Worst

Visit Greenpeace to view the Guide to Greener Electronics in its entirety.

The RFID industry, like many tech sectors, has made great efforts to "go green". The latest development is the thin-film battery for for RFID tags. RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, makes use of small RFID transponders that can be place on or in a product, person, or animal to track their location through the use of radio waves.

There are two types of RFID transponders. Passive transponders have no internal power supply and rely on the small amount of energy generated by the incoming signal to power up and respond. Active transponders are more complex and carry a small battery that gives the integrated circuits enough power to broadcast in more challenging environments, such as deep within a warehouse or inside an animal. These signals are picked up by RFID readers and then usually relayed to a database.

The new generation of thin-film batteries are made from environmentally friendly, non-toxic materials and can extend the life of RFID chips by ten fold. Previous RFID batteries only lasted up to 5 years and then the battery and transponder were of no use. Thin-film batteries can be recharged again and again eliminating waste and providing the capability to track inventory for decades.