Forecast Earth

You don't still use a screen saver, do you?

I'm happy that at this stage in my career I often find myself writing articles about energy-efficient ways to use computers, peripherals, gadgets, and consumer electronics. It makes me feel so, you know, virtuous.

Whenever I crank out a list of helpful hints, one of the first items I include is this obvious but often overlooked gem of advice: Kill your stupid screen saver. In the good old days of tube monitors, screen savers such as those unforgettable flying toasters were invented to prevent burn-in, a permanent shadow branded into the phosphors of your monitor by a static image of, say, a spreadsheet that you left on your screen all weekend.

Well, flat-screen LCD monitors don't burn in, so if you still have flying toasters or an endlessly looping slide show of your adorable niece and nephew, you're behind the times. When you're not sitting in front of your monitor it should be off off off.

It warmed my heart to read at Green Daily that Telstra, the biggest phone company in Australia, has removed all the corporate screen savers from the 36,000 computers in its offices. What will happen? The change will cut tons of CO2, which they claim will be the equivalent of taking 140 cars off the road for a year. Good on ya, mate. Follow Telstra's example. Let your flying toasters crash and burn.

Don Willmott's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

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comments from our community

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  • Posted by samarmacwan Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:44am PST
    I didn't get the cut in CO2 emissions by not using screen savers! I think a beautiful screen saver adds to the office decor. It also prevents views of confidential documents which have been left open for a while.
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  • Posted by Terri Sat Feb 7, 2009 6:25pm PST
    I thought that using a screen saver may keep my computer from the O-zone. When I leave my computer on all day or so, the monitor will have nothing on it, just my wallpapoer and I have to unplug it and turn it back on for anything to work. I have a problem with updates taking so long after I fire it up and I can't work while this is happening, so I would leave it on so I stay up-to-update with no interferance.
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  • Posted by Isabella G Wed May 13, 2009 11:18am PDT
    i still use a screensaver i had no idea that there were green screensavers. i might use it and i might not
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  • Posted by ck_0592 Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:23pm PDT
    wow,thx. i was just searching for a nice screen saver on Yahoo and, now, i decide to give up.
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  • Posted by William A Wed Jan 6, 2010 6:50am PST
    OH NO SCREENSAVERS ARE KILLING THE EARTH!!!!!
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  • Posted by Anthony Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:01am PDT
    Hi Don, and thank you for your advice. I was recently given a TFT for nix and had been wondering about the necessity of screen savers, although I rather liked mine (it rotated "Up The Rams", that's Derby County, an english Championship football/soccer club)but now I just set the monitor turn off time to whatever suits me and, as we say in England, Bob´s your uncle :-)) And to William A..........watch out! The Martians are coming;-) Cheers, you virtuous person, you Anthony
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  • Posted by Cai Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:00am PDT
    I turn off my flatscreen when I'm away for lunch or a meeting. Pics that I like live on my "wallpaper".
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