The heightened awareness of environmental impacts seems to have created a new generation of "green" products. I do wonder about the validity of some of the claims for these products though. I have a couple of LED wind-up torches which seem like a really green idea. Buried in the documentation on both are statements along the lines of: "its is not possible to fully charge this lantern by using the wind-up mechanism alone." Thoughtfully "free" external chargers are provided so I can charge off the 12 volt socket in my car. At this point I'm left to wonder, would my torches would be greener if they did not have a wind up mechanism at all?
Solar power seems like a really good contender for energy efficient products, but once again I'm left wondering about the claims for some of the products. For example, it is now easy to find a range of "solar chargers" for your phone or MP3 player. Working out their capability can be a challenge, but small 0.5 Watt solar panels are not going to be very effective in charging a mobile phone which needs near 3 Watt / hours (excuse the units) or more, for a full charge. Once again built in batteries and an external power source seem to be the "solutions" to make the products work.
To move onto a more positive note, there are products out there like the original wind up radio invented by Trevor Bayliss which really do deliver what they say on the box without the need for extra power from a socket. Solar panels continue to improve in efficiency, fall in price and so become more accessible as part of the power supply solution for many consumer products.
The question which now spring to mind as I look at the growing array of green products on offer is: Does this product deliver what the strap line implies, or will I find disappointing caveats in the small print?
Perhaps you can help me on this one.
PS You may be interested in our Technology Watch report "Reducing the environmental impact of domestic dwellings"
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1 comments:
I don't follow the argument. That you cannot fully charge the battery in your wind-up torch by winding alone is a red herring.
'Thoughtful' suppliers who waste the green advantage of wind-up torches by supplying them to impressionable consumers complete with 'free' adaptors for in-car charging may be able to thrive today. But we can hope that consumers who have the upper-body strength and stamina to keep their lights on without will learn to buy their torches elsewhere.
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