Nokia makes another green call with the Eco Sensor Project
Last week they wowed us with the 3110 Evolve and now Nokia is developing the theme with a concept eco-mobile. The manufacture would make use of environmentally friendly materials such as plant-based plastics and recycled steel. Additionally, there would be no traditional battery charing required; perhaps predictably, the Eco Sensor Project would make use of a solar panel, although it would be attached to a bracelet rather than to the phone itself.
This is because the bracelet would also provide other information, such as weather reports and indeed the health of the wearer through tracking vital signs. We can only assume it would also function as a watch, although the chances of anyone in this fashion-fickle world wearing the same bracelet daily (especially some men) seem pretty slim. Is this a truly green solution that might see the light one day?
Well, probably not, but the noises are being made in the right direction. At the moment there's a lot of speculation about green gadgets and there are also a lot of new and - in many cases - useful green gizmos. Sometimes you have to look at the device in question and accept that it can be greener, but never actually green. This is the case with a phone, which will always require an energy-intensive manufacturing process and will always generate a lot of waste. The more recyclable we make our phones the better, as upgrades will always be swift and copious. But we should all know by now that not generating the waste in the first place is definitely better than spending energy recycling.
Developing a greener lifestyle is always going to be a balancing act between being proud of what you've done so far (not leaving things on standby, using the council's recycling services to the max) and being aware that you're a long way from perfect. In my case: being a committed motorist, the occasional phone upgrade and using a computer most of the hours in the day I'm awake. Concepts like this tackle some sustainability issues, but the whole mobile phone industry - like the motor industry - is not essentially green. We can give them a slap on the back for making moves in the right direction, and we should; we just also need to remember that there's a long way to go yet.
Alexandra Roumbas is Deputy Editor of Shiny Shiny, where a version of this post first appeared.
