4 ms·

Would it better for me to charge my electronics during my morning commute, by plugging them into the car charger? A commute long enough to charge your electron

by edw519 17y ago

Would it better for me to charge my electronics during my morning commute, by plugging them into the car charger? A commute long enough to charge your electronics is probably a bigger "sin" than a cell phone plugged in overnight.

chrisb 17y ago
But if you're doing the commute anyway (you sinner)...
jrockway 17y ago
Saving the environment is a task that's too difficult for one person to understand, so anything that seems slightly inconvenient is good enough to satisfy most people's "needs". Changing when you charge your cell phone is a lot easier than planning your life to be lower-impact. (I love all the SUVs filled with one grocery bag at Whole Foods. Do you really think that buying some locally-grown organic carrots offsets the energy you spent driving your military vehicle 3 blocks?)
- bmj 17y ago
  Indeed. "Forget Shorter Showers" (http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4801/ http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4801...) points out that perhaps we've duped to think that energy shortages/waste are _our_ fault, when, in fact, it's industry, large-scale agriculture, and our military that are the biggest abusers. Of course, this isn't an excuse to not be lower impact ourselves (and perhaps not purchasing products that support certain industries), but we can't be fooled into thinking that changing our charging habit is going to save the environment.
  - maryrosecook 17y ago
    For more from the wonderful Jensen on how abusive our culture is, read A Language Older Than Words (http://www.amazon.com/Language-Older-Than-Words/dp/1893956032 http://www.amazon.com/Language-Older-Than-Words/dp/189395603...). If you can look past the absurd stuff about talking to animals, there is a lot to be learnt from it.
  - diN0bot 17y ago
    if our changing habits were coupled with our buying, lobbying and voting behavior, then it would have a significant effect. furthermore, the culture and ethics we instill today will be in charge of corporations in a few decades.
- mseebach 17y ago
  There are other reasons than carbon offset to shop at Whole Foods...
electromagnetic 17y ago
Consider your energy sources too, here in ontario my power is coming from a mixture of Hydro and Nuclear. Plugging anything into my car to charge is most definitely worse, as you're then trading relatively clean energy sources for a car engine. If your power comes from a coal/oil plant, it's a rather harder decision, which depends on your vehicles efficiency. However, it's most certainly going to use more fuel (and thus cost you more) than it would take to receive the equivalent electricity.

by edw519 17y ago

chrisb 17y ago

But if you're doing the commute anyway (you sinner)...

jrockway 17y ago

Saving the environment is a task that's too difficult for one person to understand, so anything that seems slightly inconvenient is good enough to satisfy most people's "needs". Changing when you charge your cell phone is a lot easier than planning your life to be lower-impact. (I love all the SUVs filled with one grocery bag at Whole Foods. Do you really think that buying some locally-grown organic carrots offsets the energy you spent driving your military vehicle 3 blocks?)

bmj 17y ago
Indeed. "Forget Shorter Showers" (http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4801/ http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4801...) points out that perhaps we've duped to think that energy shortages/waste are _our_ fault, when, in fact, it's industry, large-scale agriculture, and our military that are the biggest abusers. Of course, this isn't an excuse to not be lower impact ourselves (and perhaps not purchasing products that support certain industries), but we can't be fooled into thinking that changing our charging habit is going to save the environment.
- maryrosecook 17y ago
  For more from the wonderful Jensen on how abusive our culture is, read A Language Older Than Words (http://www.amazon.com/Language-Older-Than-Words/dp/1893956032 http://www.amazon.com/Language-Older-Than-Words/dp/189395603...). If you can look past the absurd stuff about talking to animals, there is a lot to be learnt from it.
- diN0bot 17y ago
  if our changing habits were coupled with our buying, lobbying and voting behavior, then it would have a significant effect. furthermore, the culture and ethics we instill today will be in charge of corporations in a few decades.
mseebach 17y ago
There are other reasons than carbon offset to shop at Whole Foods...

electromagnetic 17y ago

Consider your energy sources too, here in ontario my power is coming from a mixture of Hydro and Nuclear. Plugging anything into my car to charge is most definitely worse, as you're then trading relatively clean energy sources for a car engine. If your power comes from a coal/oil plant, it's a rather harder decision, which depends on your vehicles efficiency. However, it's most certainly going to use more fuel (and thus cost you more) than it would take to receive the equivalent electricity.