Simple Tips on How Technology Can Help Everyone Be Green on Earth Day - and Every Day: by Verizon

NEW YORK, -- A few simple steps are all it takes to conserve energy and help protect the environment. And with today's broadband and wireless technologies, being green has never been easier.
As the observance of Earth Day - on April 22 - approaches, here are some suggestions for using those technologies to help everyone be green:
- Telecommute one day a week or once a month. Working from home using broadband connections, like Verizon's ultra-fast FiOS Internet or reliable High-Speed Internet services, can help reduce traffic congestion and reduce your fuel bill.
- Recycle cell phones that are no longer used. Donating these phones to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program will keep batteries out of landfills and help raise funds to assist domestic violence survivors.
- Switch to paperless billing. Verizon residential customers helped save the equivalent of 52,000 trees last year by making the switch.
- Have a virtual meeting. Use video conferencing instead of travel. (One flight between London and Chicago produces 13.24 tons of carbon dioxide per person.
- Shop online using a high-speed Internet connection instead of making a trip to the mall for a single item.
- Watch a movie with a theater-like experience using Verizon FiOS TV's video-on-demand service instead of driving to rent a movie.
- Use a smart thermostat to reduce energy costs.
- Use a mapping tool, such as VZ Navigator, to find the most direct route to your destination to help save on fuel.
- Use a smart power strip for your computer or wireless phone charger. Sensors in the strip turn off the power supply when the items are not in use, saving electricity and money.
- Learn more. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site to learn about additional steps you can take at home, work or school to help protect the environment. Or, visit the Verizon Foundation's Thinkfinity.org to find a host of free educational resources to teach children about environmental stewardship.