Test Your Green PC Knowledge

The last time we checked, Americans were using well over 200 million personal computers. You're probably reading this on one of them. Do all those PCs affect the environment? You'd better believe it.

Don't be a PC fool: Test your green PC knowledge with our simple quiz.

Comments

[Bob]

This is an excellent educational approach. Congratulations to the Sierra Club.

[Shirley]

Question 9 was misleading because the answer referred only to "newer" PCs, but this wasn't specified in the question. It's best to keep the one you have, right? I've had mine since 2001, and when it goes into sleep mode, it loses the connection. It even warns me in advance that if I put it into sleep mode, the connection will be lost.

[Ray]

About Question 7. Although you're correct, if a computer is power cycled lots during it's life span is shortened, which could lead to it being replaced a lot sooner than if it had been left on, but whether that uses less energy, who knows.

[awoodenmd]

Question number 9 is a trick question. It asks about "your" PC. Well, my PC is an Apple. When it goes to sleep, all power and connections are pretty much shutdown. The network connection is "lost", however, it reconnects immediately upon waking back up, so no data is lost and server connections are not disrupted. If you check the router, however, the MAC address for this computer disappears when the computer goes to sleep. Hmmmm. Told you it was a trick question!

[Dick Simpson]

I did better than I expected, but got tripped up at the end. There's another side to these questions: what happens after you get there? Suppose the single traveler opts for the scheduled airline to Wally World, then is forced to rent an SUV because all the hybrids were taken? I usually think of this in terms of safety, but it can be applied to green. Air travel is pretty safe compared to driving (deaths per passenger mile). But now you've been whisked to your destination hundreds/thousands of miles away, you're driving an unfamiliar vehicle, and you're exposed to highway risk. Flying may save on the carbon footprint compared to driving the SUV from home; but if you spend your vacation motoring from one spot to another at your destination, you may burn up everything you saved and more.

[Dick Simpson]

I did better than I expected, but got tripped up at the end. There's another side to these questions: what happens after you get there? Suppose the single traveler opts for the scheduled airline to Wally World, then is forced to rent an SUV because all the hybrids were taken? I usually think of this in terms of safety, but it can be applied to green. Air travel is pretty safe compared to driving (deaths per passenger mile). But now you've been whisked to your destination hundreds/thousands of miles away, you're driving an unfamiliar vehicle, and you're exposed to highway risk. Flying may save on the carbon footprint compared to driving the SUV from home; but if you spend your vacation motoring from one spot to another at your destination, you may burn up everything you saved and more.

[Andrea Mac Murray]

Every American should have to take this quiz, in the hope they will learn, that one person in the 12 mile per gallon SUV or Truck is not only costing them gas money, but also the future of their children.

[Dr. Rowan Rowntree]

Loved it. I taught energy budget analysis & policy at the university level and still learned from this quiz. Keep up the good work!

[Mary Ann Martorana]

Great quiz. I consider myself pretty well informed but I learned some interesting things from this quiz.

[Paul]

On question 8, after you select Control Panel, you have to select Performance and Maintenance before you can get to Power Options

[bas]

To bad it is inaccurate. Another PC quiz to try to outwit the masses.

The question about Turning your computer on and off saving energy. Wrong! That uses more energy then letting it go to sleep mode overnight. Especially those of us that have peripherals tied into our PC's. If you are smart, you are have them all tied together and when you do shut the PC down, you are also shutting them down. When you turn them back on, they ALL turn back on.

The question about using engergy before you buy it is a ridiculous trick question. Your asking the end user about energy usage not from the PC's inception.

Further, you need to site your sources and the Sierra Club is not a reliable source without bias.

[Molly Wassermann]

This was very informative. Keep up the fantastic work at Sierra Club.

[Wendy Stacy]

Thank you so much for the information! These quiz questions have been discussed in personal circles for some time. I now feel that I have some answers and I'm glad I've been shutting off my PC!

[Eugene H Lee]

Short informative tests are great fun to take!

[sc webmaster]

Based on a couple comments -- the officious red type and statement have been removed for those who who want to skip directly to the answers.
... and mollified for those who just skip a question.

[Deb]

I THINK THE SURVEYS AND QUIZS ARE VERY HELPFUL!! KEEP 'EM COMING.

[Heth]

This was very interesting and hopefully will help make a difference in quite a few homes

[Marianne]

Just posted a comment about the quiz, but then re-read all the prior posts. Am I the only one to realize the ergonomic benefits of a PC over a laptop? I realize that this is not necessarily a 'green' concern, but aren't the health and physical concerns of older computer users also a 'green' concern?

[Marianne]

Thanks for the quiz. Even though I scored 90 out of 100, I learned a lot. Did not know that shutting off my PC for several hours at a time was more energy-conserving. However, even though I know that laptops are probably more energy efficient, my PC is physically more ergonomically efficient; as a senior citizen, I can sit and view it more comfortably from a good ergonimic chair instead of trying to position a laptop with either a keyboard that is too high to be comfortable for long periods of keying/searching/viewing, or a screen that is too low and requires bending over to view it. Any suggestions?

[domenique]

so when r you going to check all your facts you make yourselves look like a propaganda machine. I would really like to believe your organization would represent all the facts in an educated fashion, like where you got the fact.

The how green is your home was appalling. please stop if you are not going to do it properly.

i appreciate all the other work you do but this really makes me think your a womens fashion mag. full of fluff and not informed.

Just my 2 cents worth. Thank you.

[David Wells]

RE: Your question "As personal computers processors get more powerful, they likewise increase their power demands."

You state the ANSWER is: False - and technically you are correct;
HOWEVER,
IF YOU STUDY THE TOTAL computer POWER SUPPY WATTAGE RATINGS AND electric power consumption average of those DESKTOP computer POWER SUPPLIES (which are actually electric power tansformers - contained in the little box that converts the electric power from AC to DC so that the computer can use the electric power [- it's the one with the air fan], --- you will see that desktop computer power supply (transformer) wattage has more than DOUBLED since the original 8 bit chip series of micro-computers manufactured way back in the 1970's. Thus, overall average electricity consumption for the average desktop computer has increased to nearly double or EVEN MORE than doubled over the years. Any digital data computer farm or data internet service provider center manager will tell you that!

Thus your below CITED AND quoted answer IS WRONG if one considers the TOTAL picture or scheme of things.

"False. Although each generation of microprocessors is speedier than the previous one, smart engineering means that they often also use less energy at the same time. For example, Intel's Core 2 Duo desktop processor is up to 40 percent faster and more than 40 percent more energy-efficient than its single-core predecessor."

[S. McKnight]

It doesn't surpruse me that only about ten percent of computers are recycled. I work at an academic institution and can attest first hand as to the number of PCs that are surplused each year. Some of the components such as the CRT could easily be reused, but as always, the new generation will use a different type of connector so that the CRT can't be utilized. Other salvagable components that could be rebuilt are keypads and printers, not to mention the internal electronics that are socket-plugged instead of soldered.

[Derik]

Good way to educate. As others have pointed out there are often more questions behind the questions. On CPU power consumption (Q #3), you may be right about the CPUs alone getting more efficient, but you have to weigh that against other accompanying power requirements (cf. Q #10). In particular, faster CPUs have generally required more cooling power over the years. Back in the 90s, CPUs didn't need fans. Now they're de rigeur or they overheat and die. Adds a lot of power consumption.

[Yolanda Rosales]

Loved it....will correct my usage. I did pretty well on the quizzie but didn't know it all! Good job Sierra....Y

[Michael]

Thank you for the quizzes. They certainly raise one's awareness of the subject issues. Sierra - you are doing a good thing.

[John Altshuler]

Learned quite a bit about how to become more energy efficient with my buddy CPU.

[MISS D]

VERY INFORMATIVE! THANKS!

[Delores]

I like the quizzes. They make me think more and help me learn more about being green. Everything we believe isn't always true. Both of my computers are older, and I have used manufacturers recycling programs in the past and am happy to learn that many places are now offering free recycling of old products. Right now I am getting ready to send back an old printer. It just takes a little searching and question asking.

[Bob McGlinsky]

The test is interesting and addresses some E issues for power consumption, but I had expected it to address some disposal issues of PCs which really affect our environment.
A question regarding 10% recycled is a good start. What about the remaining TVs and PCs that are landfilled or shipped out of the country? What affect does the improper disposal of these items have on our E green world? The answers will surprise or shock most of you.
National Geographic presents the effects in excellent detail in the
Jan 2008 issue article called High Tech Trash. The amount of heavy metals, PCBS, and other really harmful contaminants which affect our Green Environment are well presented. It is the best I have seen and I believe weall should be aware of how we dispose of our waste.

[Deanne]

Thanks for the information. I so glad you inform me because I did not know anything about computers and how they affect our environment.

[Colleen]

I love these power quizzes - very informative!

[lrdiver]

Well, I believe you have a few points wrong too. A CRT does draw less power with the screen blank. I am using a CRT. You are correct for an LCD as you mention. BTW, they could be a lot better if the screen saver simply turned off the backlight.

[lrdiver]

Well, I believe you have a few points wrong too. A CRT does draw less power with the screen blank. I am using a CRT. You are correct for an LCD as you mention. BTW, they could be a lot better if the screen saver simply turned off the backlight.

[Jack Nord]

I didn't do very well, but I learned. I liked the quiz. Good public service!

[Jack Nord]

I didn't do very well, but I learned. I liked the quiz. Good public service!

[Glenn D'Alessio]

Saying the majority or energy resources for PC's are used in their manufacture and before does nothing to minimize the impact of using them. Further, does anyone know on average how much energy is used when we are online. There is a staggering amount of energy used to run servers and keep googles of information at our figertips. How much. I bet there is more energy being used for me to be online and typing this, then were I to be typing offline at home. Just bein online must use staggering amounts of resources. Does anyone know how much? I doubt it!

[Grant Shafer]

Thanks. I left my computer on because I thought that turning it on took as much power as running it for half an hour.

[sue farrell]

I like the quiz but how to recycle the power mac 7500 ,,,yea that old,,,,also the hp that my father left me ,,,,no information on that

[Marcia Friedrich]

Interesting! I learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.

[Tom Combs]

Cute, but many of these are not really true-false questions, and a few of the answers are somewhat contradictory. Compare the answers for #3 and #10, for instance. If you have a more powerful "small form factor" PC, it may use less power than an older desktop; but if you have a more powerful "gamer" PC, it will probably use more power than an older desktop. Similarly, #9 says that newer PCs won't lose their network connections in sleep mode, but #5 encourages you to keep using older PCs that do lose their network connections in sleep mode. #7 ignores the cost of your time waiting for the PC to boot; on balance, it's usually more palatable to use sleep or hibernate mode (which resume work much more quickly than a cold boot) instead of completely shutting down. Etc.

[Debby]

Helpful quiz but I wish there was a way to get one's questions answered.

[susan Battersby]

i enjoyed it, and i learned new information also.

[susan Battersby]

i enjoyed it, and i learned new information also.

[Toni Ayers]

I loved this information! Thank you. I wish I could print it for my family to read. It dispels lots of myths.

[Ani L Schwartz]

LARGESSE, A Grook about giving of one's plenty:
It's pleasant to give without feeling the price
So let us be nobly profuse of
The bottomless treasure of moral advice
We anyhow never make use of.
by Piet Hein, "Grooks II"
I. Telling us (in red, no less): "You didn't answer this question" is ridiculous since we are very aware of what we answered & what we did not. It is a waste of time, energy, text space, & other things.
II. "60 or fewer points: Uh-Oh -- System Error
Whoops. Time to reboot your green PC database!"
This is very misleading since I chose to not answer any questions (on round 2) & there is nothing 'wrong' with my laptop except that it is quite old. Even so, it made me feel bad. Emotions are not rational things but they are intertwined with how we think & how we learn.
III. When I took the quiz (round 1) you told me:
"Your score: 60 out of 100 points.
60-80 points: System Slowdown
Your green PC knowledge could use a little bit of defragging, but you'll be optimized in no time."
A. Actually, I thought I did pretty well, considering I was guessing, based on common sense, since I have ZERO knowledge about computers.
B. Furthermore, based on some of the new knowledge I gained from the experts writing in, my score should have been higher.
C. These Judgements about how we did on the quiz should be omitted because:
1. Judgements make people HATE quizzes & HATE learning.
2. They also damage people's self esteem which won't help ANY ONE with anything in their lives.
3. Judgements also distract people from the REAL point & discourage people from proceeding with the learning process if they do not already have the background, discipline & driving desire to learn. Unfortunately, most of our educational systems are set up this way.
4. Judgements also beget more judgements like accusations of being "holier than thou", etc which are also not the point, just another distraction from what really counts.
5. It is for each of us to judge ourselves.
IV. So the question becomes, "What is the motive for creating things like this quiz?"

[Joe Vadalma]

I liked the quiz. It's a good way to learn. It sticks with you better than simply reading information. As far as PCs go, I think in the long run they are green. For example, look how much paper and printing is wasted on mailed advertisements, printed books, handwritten or typed correspondence and so forth.

[Debra Hotlon]

I found out that I saved more than $10 per month on my electric bill by shutting down my computer when not in use.
And thanks for giving me info on how to configure my PC for more effecient power usage.

[Ani L Schwartz]

I am a novice laptop user. Even I found certain questions "contradictory" or too 'shallow'. Always, the FIRST QUESTION is "What is the REAL Question?"! Because the question must lead to the desired "answer". "Answers" have time limits, they can be "true" only until new evidence, technology, conditions, etc. outdate them.
HOWEVER, This is a great idea, esp because knowledgeable people send feedback, from which I received so much good info that it will take some time to digest. I don't care for quizzes but they are very good for getting people to think.
As for the China, India, etc question raised above, there is another aspect that is extremely costly: "outsourcing" work has been a disaster for Our Economy, the Energy costs of which are probably impossible to tally. These costs extend across the board. Everything effects everything else, the "butterfly effect". ...

[Carol]

Thought this was a very informative quiz. Thanks!

[debbie moore]

I WAS SUPPRISED AT HOW MUCH ENERGY A PC USES IM GLAD IM NOT ON IT VERY LONG THANK YOU FOR THE INFO I REALLY LIKE INPUT LIKE # 5 ON THE MOVIES BUT IM BEING DISTRACTED BY MY FRIENDLY SQUIRREL FRIEND IN THE WINDOW LOOKING AT ME ON THE COMPUTER SO GOT TO GO.