Sign the Pledge NOW!!
The 2006 MHC Million Montior pledge runs from now through Wednesday, December 13th. Even if you pledged last year, please take a minute to confirm your monitor settings, then pledge again for 2006. Thanks!
Frequently-Asked Questions about the Million Monitor Drive
What is the Million Monitor Drive and why is MHC participating?
Is it true that screensavers actually waste energy?
Sounds really good, but what's the catch?
What else can I do to decrease my computer's impact on the environment?
Where can I get more information about sustainability and clean energy?
What is the Million Monitor pledge and why is MHC participating?
The pledge is our response to the EPA's Million Monitor challenge to colleges and universities across the country. The EPA is urging everyone to voluntarily reduce their energy consumption by setting their computer monitors to a power-saving "sleep mode".
Million Monitor is sponsored by Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) and supported by LITS and the President's Office. Our goal is to get as many of our community members as possible between now and December 13th to pledge to stop using a screensaver and start putting their computers to sleep.
But wait! The Million Monitor Drive is also a regional competition, with really good prizes awarded to:
- Whichever college (Smith, Amherst, or Mt. Holyoke) has the highest percentage of students signing the pledge by December 13th.
- The MHC residence house with the highest percentage of students pledging.
- EAC as the sponsoring organization, if at least 75% of all MHC students sign the pledge.
MHC Faculty & Staff: We encourage you to follow the directions below to set your own computer monitor to sleep mode.
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Is it true that screen savers actually waste energy?
YES! A CRT (cathode ray tube, TV-style) monitor uses 73 watts when active (even with a blank screen saver) and a typical LCD (liquid crystal display) screen uses 40 watts when active. Both types use only 0-3 watts when asleep.
Setting your monitor to go into sleep mode when you're not using it could save from 100 to 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year depending on your computer usage habits. This equals a monetary saving of $8.50 to $51.00 per year per computer (at 8.5 cents per kWh).
But money isn't all you're saving. Even more important, the more computers set to sleep mode, the greater the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the power plants that generate our electricity. And it doesn't take much to make a real impact:
- Just 19 computers set to sleep mode is equivalent to planting one acre of trees.
- Just 30 computers set to sleep mode is equivalent to taking one car (and all its emissions) off the road.
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Sounds really good, but what's the catch?
There isn't any. Putting your monitor to sleep will not close applications you have running, not interfere with your network settings, and not log you out of your computer. It will simply turn off your monitor when it's not in use. It's a great way to help the environment without reducing your computer's performance. To wake your monitor up, all you have to do is move your mouse or hit any key on your keyboard. No pain, lots of gain!
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What else can I do to decrease my computer's impact on the environment?
- Turn your computer completely off when you go to lunch, go to a long meeting, leave your office for the day, or do anything else for an hour or more that doesn't involve your computer. An average PC will waste 130 watts (the energy required to ride a bike at 17 mph) if it's not turned off overnight.
- If you are buying a new computer, consider a laptop. A typical laptop uses only one-quarter the energy of a desktop system.
- If you are buying a new monitor, consider an LCD, also called a flat screen or flat panel display. LCDs use only one-third the energy of a CRT. They also generate less heat that CRTs, meaning lower air-conditioning bills in the summer.
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Where can I get more information about sustainability and clean energy?
Visit the following websites for more information about:
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Did you remember to SIGN THE PLEDGE?
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