IT environmental myth busting

Myth Turning off or power-managing computers and printers causes network problems.

REALITY: Major network software suppliers say that if networks have been properly set up there should be no problem with turning off or power-managing computers and printers in the network.

CFA IT SAYS: All staff should turn their computers off after hours. If you are able to reach the switch then please also turn computers off at the wall.

Myth Turning off computers crashes the hard drive

REALITY: Switching off computers will have no significant effect on the useful lifetime of the hard disk.

CFA IT SAYS: All staff should turn their computers off after hours. If you are able to reach the switch then please also turn computers off at the wall.

Myth When equipment is turned on or powers up from Sleep mode, there is often a current surge. So much energy is consumed that leaving your equipment in normal operating mode wastes less energy than turning if off or using power-management features.

REALITY: Start-up current surges are of very short duration and, at most, they consume a few seconds of average running-time energy. Whenever your equipment is not being used, it makes sense to turn it off or switch to a lower power setting.

CFA IT SAYS: All staff are asked to turn off their computers when leaving their desk or office for an extended period.

Myth Screen savers save energy

REALITY: No, screen savers are energy wasters. Most computers use about twice as much energy lighting up the screen as they use for processing. To save energy, set you screen saver to ‘none’ or ‘blank screen’.

CFA IT SAYS: Yes, screen savers waste energy! CFA prefers staff to shut down the PC if leaving the desk for an extended period. If leaving your computer for a short time, lock your computer by using Control-Alt-Delete. This is also more secure. Note: This is more effective if your desktop wallpaper/background is a plain colour and not a high resolution image.

Myth Most people prefer to receive hard copies of publications, memos, flyers and forms.

REALITY: Increasingly people prefer these in electronic format. A recent survey by one CFA Area returned a figure of 50% of members who preferred this method. The electronic method saves a lot of paper, a lot of time, and a lot of money.

CFA IT SAYS:Include the electronic version in your earliest considerations. Ask your customers what they prefer before you go to print. Ask IT for advice on how to produce appropriate electronic documents. This is all good service and will save a lot of forest.

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Did you know?

A photocopier left on continuously for seven years over its two-million-copies life may consume $1500 of electricity, $24,000 of paper and $15,000 of toner. Greenhouse gas emissions from supplying energy and manufacturing and disposing of the paper you use could exceed 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide – more than the total greenhouse gas emissions of a typical home over that same seven-year period.

Admin Services leads the way

Admin Services reports that all corporate printing now uses recycled paper. Letterhead, envelopes, comps slips and business cards are produced using environmentally-friendly processes and meeting the world standard for environmental paper manufacturing. The increased cost of switching to environmental printing options is minor.

About five sheets of office paper can be made from one recycled milk carton.


Has your department, Area or brigade come up with any environmentally-friendly initiatives? We’d love to hear about them. Please write a paragraph or story for Fire Flyer about what you are doing for the environment and spread the good ideas around. Send it to Fire Flyer.