Thanks to our good friends at Ethical Superstore, four bloggers here at Shiny Towers have been equipped with energy monitors; clever devices which tell us the ugly truth about exactly how much power we're consuming on a daily basis.
Next week, Katie, Duncan, Dan and I will be installing these meters in our homes and keeping an eye on the readings to see just how 'green' we really are. Now, what with at least two of our testers being professional gadget freaks (Dan and Duncan both join us from Tech Digest) we are prepared for some shocks. But will Katie and I, the so-called eco-worriers fare any better? Stay tuned for the honest and uncensored results, next week...
Read on after the jump to find out more about our testers and the devices we'll be using...
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We like LED lighting around here, but it's even better when it comes stylishly packaged and has extra gadgety bits to get excited about, too.
The Spark Lamp is not only a cool, comtemporary low energy lamp, but it also comes with a wireless device that monitors the overall energy usage in your home. Oh, and it doesn't need any electricity for itself, thank you very much, as it stores up sunlight during the day to get its juice. Just like a plant! Which is why it kinda looks like one.
[Via Ecofriend]
Related: LEDs: the lights with a lighter footprint | LED technology now available in lightbulb form
I loved the LED penguinso much that I was delighted to see that renewable energy has been packaged in another cute, winged form: this time, it's a bat!
To make him light up, simply squeeze the bats tummy and watch him glow. He works either as a torch or as a nightlight when 'standing' in upright position. What better way to teach kids that you don't need batteries to light up the night sky? Perfect for when Halloween rolls around too (which, believe it or not is NEXT MONTH!) The bat torch costs just £4.99 from Ethical Superstore
Related: Bright guy self-lighting LED penguin
How would you like to play your iPod through these smooth, shapely speakers which are encased in beautiful bamboo?
The speakers, made by Ecodigital, are completely encased in the fast-growing wood, which being a hardwood, is ideal for making acoustic equipment. But the speakers' greenness doesn't stop there...
Related: The Asus bamboo EcoBook stars at CeBit | TAKEGTF2 Susu bamboo speakers | Eco Speakers are green (and lots of other rainbow colours)
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We know all about eco kettles, but what about that other commonly used kitchen item that gets very hot and comes in handy when you fancy a quick break?
As part of its 'Ecolectric' range, Morphy Richards has brought out the 'eco toaster'; a Carbon Trust-certified gadget that uses 34% less energy than standard toasters. It does this with the help of a special lid that keeps the heat close to the bread without escaping too far outside the unit itself.
£34.99 at Ethical Superstore
Follow the jump for a video of how it works
Related: Video review: eco-friendly kettles | Yay or nay: The Tefal Quick-Cup kettle
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If you were wowed by the Firewinder when it launched earlier in the year, you'll be pleased to know that it's now available in the UK at Natural Collection.
You can have your own mini firework display every night with one of these fun decorations, while showing the world just how plentiful and potent a source of power the wind can be. Hell, it just looks really pretty. If you want one, there's a limited range available here.
Related: The Firewinder: sparkly, wind-powered decoration
Over at Tech Digest, they regularly rate and gloat over objects that aren't exactly the height of environmental friendliness, while technology as a sector still hasn't really got its act together on the green front at all: Greenpeace regularly rate a bunch of tech companies on their website and no-one is currently scoring higher than 5.1/10. Some companies score extremely poorly. Nintendo score just 0.8/10.
But their new editorial assistant, Duncan Geere, is big into his green technology, and loves getting his hands on all the latest 'green' gadgets. He studied Meteorology at University, and that came with a bunch of climate change and renewable energy classes which taught him a lot about what we really should be doing with our planet. Read on to find out his verdict on the latest offer from the world of eco computing.
Related: LG unveils 'world's most eco-friendly monitor' | Tokidoki mini laptop from Fujitsu
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