Technology with the Environment in Mind

  Section 2 of 11  

Green Homeowners as Lead Adopters: Sustainable Living and Green Computing

INTRODUCTION

The dramatic importance of environmental issues has permeated the awareness of consumers, regulatory bodies, OEMs, and others over the past few years. This awareness of environmental issues and global climate change has reached an inflection point with the potential to impact Intel's products, brand, and operations. Intel has already taken significant actions such as reducing emissions from its Fabs, playing a formative role in initiatives such as the Green Grid [1] and Climate Savers [2], and pursuing energy-efficient products. Many additional opportunities lie ahead for "green" (environmentally conscious) computing.

In this paper, we discuss emerging trends in environmental action and how these relate to green computing technologies. Our analysis draws on an ethnographic study of 35 households in the United States, as well as expert interviews and secondary sources. Although green home owners are clearly a distinct and unique population, in many ways they are at the forefront of personal environmental action, and they offer valuable insights into how consumers perceive technologies in terms of sustainability and green values. We explored questions such as our participants' motivations for environmentalism, their openness to new technological solutions from corporations, and their perceptions of computing devices in relation to green values.

  Section 2 of 11  

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