Happy Earth Day 2009: Welcome to Earf

So it’s Earth Day, one of the most cosmetically celebrated holidays I can think of.  Most people say “Happy Earth Day!” and then proceed like they would any other day.  Anyway… I think us video game fanatics for the most part are pretty good when it comes to cutting down on gamer-related waste.  Partially because most of us won’t part with certain games and/or systems no matter how old or outdated they may be.  Image if people did this with plastic bags, paper plates, etc…

But there is always more you can do right?  Here is a list of video-game related things that anyone can do which will conserve in some way:

• Unplug your crap:  Even if a system is off, energy will still be consumed by simply keeping it plugged in.  This should be even more relevant to PS3 owners since that thing consumes the energy of a dying sun.   A helpful idea may be to get a surge strip which has all your systems (I assume you have multiple) in it which you can turn off when you aren’t playing any.  On an interesting side note, the Nintendo Wii consumes the least electricity of the current gen systems.
• Sharing is caring: If you know a friend who wants to try a game you own, let them borrow it so they don’t have to buy a whole new copy.  That’s one less game that needs to be purchased and kept for eternity.  If they decide they must own it, they can try it before buying it.  Also, if you don’t even want the game, you can trade it in, eBay it, or just give it to someone.
• Regular Please: Do you REALLY need the dumb toy included with the pre-order?  How likely are you to get any real enjoyment from it?  Is it just going to sit and gather dust?  There are the questions you should ask yourself.
• Naked games: There is nothing wrong with getting a used game that does not include a manual or a case.  This is especially true for games that are in cartridge form, like Nintendo DS.  How often do you really flip though those manuals?
• A PS3 is not a DVD player: PS3’s burn more energy than standard DVD players, for this reason it is absolutely unnecessary to play standard DVDs in it.  I am looking at you Nutgarden05…  Use it for Blu Rays and PS3 games only when you can.
• Controller capers: I have 3 PS2 controllers.  There are only 2 slots for controllers on a PS2.  Nuf said.
• Dead, but not useless: If your system dies, rather than huck it, you may want to see if anyone would like to buy it to salvage parts.  I noticed a lot of people were doing this when the PS3 first came out.  Also, you may even want to contact the manufacturer to see about warrenty repairs, or ask about proper ways to dispose of the system.

I partly compiled this list as a reminder for myself, but I think if more gamers followed at least a few of these ideas, that would be a good way to honor the Earf.  You may need to break out of some old habits.  I admit some of the above bullets frighten me as much as I am sure they did you.

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