I think I like this the most because of the design. The [re]Drive…

The other benefit? It’s really eco-friendly. Some of the benefits include…

* Designed using recyclable aluminum and bamboo
* bamboo is steamed press using water only. No harsh chemicals or wood varnish are used.
* The aluminum enclosure is 100% recyclable
* Simplified eco-friendly package contains just the bare essentials to reduce waste
* No extra bags or inserts; the user guide is printed on the inside of the box and is also digitally stored on the drive
* Retail box corrugate is 100% recyclable
* Master carton is 100% recycled post-consumer content
* Protective external drive end caps are 100% recycled newspaper
* Energy-efficient design reduces carbon impact
* Energy Star® Level 4-qualified power adapter offering up to 10% power efficiency improvement over our current model, and up to 30% greater power savings over non-Energy Star adapters

The list goes on and on… but that’s undeniably a good thing.

I do a lot to make sure my footprint is low and part of that is driven by conscious consumer product purchases. I’m not perfect but I try to research what I buy to make sure I’m not doing any unnecessary harm.

Taming your technology has to do, in part, with not affecting others. Wasting energy to fulfill your techno-fantasies is on-par with taking a 45-minute shower everyday. You have to ask yourself, is it really THAT enjoyable?

Somehow, all the permissions on arbitrary folders on my web host got changed to arbitrary numbers. VERY little help from my host on this one, none-too-happy about that. Stay tuned for an explanation of the problem.

In the meantime, a photo of what I do in my spare time… recycle. This time, electronics:

Part of taming your technology is making sure that you deal with it responsibly. I found an e-waste even on-line and took a whole mess of monitors from the software company I’m working with. Electronic waste is a big problem; make as little of it as possible and, what you do make, get rid of it responsibly too. Here are a few resources for those of your in San Diego:

San Diego Waste Management can pick some of it up.

San Diego E-Waste takes it but they charge a fee.

Have newer, usable electronics? Check out Costco; they’ll pay you for certain items.

Recycle San Diego gives a few free events and it looks like it is kept up to date. Plus they have this awesome hard-drive crushing video:

Via Physorg, a Japanese man (almost 70 years old)  crosses the pacific in a wave-powered boat.

[Kenichi] Horie completed a 110-day solo trans-Pacific voyage in a boat propelled only by the power of waves — to claim another first in the world. The 9.5 metre (31-foot) boat is equipped with two special fins at the front which can move like a dolphin’s tail each time the vessel rises or falls with the rhythm of the waves. Horie first made world headlines in 1962 when, at the age of 23, he became the first person to sail solo across the Pacific. His projects have included sailing boats that rely on a single solar battery or are made from recycled materials.

(Image from Latitude 38)

How fantastic is that?

I, for one, love the idea of sailing across the Pacific. It sounds unbelievably scary but what a feel of accomplishment at the finish. On top of that, uber-green sea-faring vessels are a must at this point. Our oceans are a critical piece of the entire biosphere and the damage that is being done to them is really deplorable.

Between wave power,sail power, and solar power, I don’t know why there is not a bigger push towards environmental mandates for pleasure/cruising boats. Part of taming technology is making sure that your technology is not a detriment to other parts of the biosphere. It’s hard to put a restriction on international trade (and transportation) but what about cruise liners? Personal watercraft? Mega-yachts? Why not place some stringent CAFE-type standards on any of those industries.

It would be a step in the right direction to say the least…