Good Design for the Planet

Currently I'm a huge Mac fan... but this gorgeous laptop makes me question my loyalty. This limited edition ASUS U6 Bamboo Series Notebook has an eco-friendly artisan grade Moso bamboo panel cover and palm rest, and a 12.1 inch wide WXGA LED backlight wide panel for lower power consumption, better luminance and high mobility. The touch pad also has bamboo fiber patterns on it, making it feel as though you're scrolling and pointing on a bamboo surface. ASUS SmartLogon intelligently recognizes its rightful owner and grants access with positive facial scan. An optical drive is included and you will be running on Windows Vista Business. Each laptop is a unique piece of art, each with its own natural bamboo pattern. I have not touched or test-driven one of these so check out the review by PC Magazine. And this luxurious technology will cost you about $2000.

While browsing through the ASUStek Computer website, I learned that laptop computers can meet the Energy Star requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy as many of the ASUS models do. "If all computers sold in the United States meet the Energy Star requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $2 billion each year and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of those from 2 million cars." (www.energystar.gov). Keep that in mind the next time you shop for a computer.

There are so many "green" products being produced now and many websites and blogs dedicated to promoting them. So I won't introduce you to every new product that is eco-friendly and good for the planet. But when good design benefits our planet, you'll likely see it here on Philanthropy A LA MODE.