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Are you considering a new gaming console? Have you considered the amount of energy a game console uses?  The National Resources Defense Council released a study comparing the different gaming consoles, the quick facts can be found here .

I was quite surprised at the results.  First, all the consoles still consume energy when turned off, which I could have guessed.  The amount in comparison between the consoles was what surprised me the most. 

The Nintendo Wii used only 16 watts in active mode, while the Xbox 360 used 119 watts and PS3 used 150 watts!  The study translated these into costs.  The Wii costs $3 while turned off per year and $10 while active.  The Xbox 360 costs $11 off and $103 while on.  The PS3 has the highest numbers with $12 costs while turned off and $134 while on.  I realize these numbers are not going to be exact costs for anyone because of the amount of time a system is actually on versus actually turned off in a year is going to be different for each system.  What I find fascinating with these numbers is the huge difference between the Wii and the other two systems.  The amount of energy the Wii uses while on is still less than that of either the Xbox 360 or the PS3 turned off.  The Xbox and the PS3 use more than 10 times the amount of energy as the Wii while turned on.

So, if you were considering a new console, perhaps this information will sway you to a Wii.  If you have a different console and are now worried about the amount of energy used, read the full study .  They talk about how to utilize the energy settings the consoles have but by default are not set up.  We actually purchased a Wii last year, and this study makes me feel real good about our purchase.

One of the words that I noticed a lot this past summer, and drove me nuts, was “staycation”.  With gas prices being so high, marketers were trying to get people to stay home with their vacation time and go see the local sites.  I am all for going to see the local sites.  I do that frequently, on the weekends.  Sometimes you just need to get away though.

This fall we did not have a “staycation”; we took a vacation and went camping.  It was wonderful.  We picked a place that was less than a day to drive to, Shenandoah National Park.  We packed up the hybrid with a tent, sleeping bags, cooler, and all the workings for a week of camping.  I can’t tell you how many times I researched the fall foliage reports for the area to make sure we had picked the right week.  When we got there, it was just beautiful.  I did lots of research ahead of time to make sure we had plenty to do.  Hiking, cave tours, and wineries were on our agenda.  It was a pleasant week, although a bit cold at night.

I keep saying it was a great vacation, but we did not fly anywhere, stay in a hotel or visit an amusement park.  You don’t have to in order to have a great time.  Here are a few ways that this vacation was better for the environment:

• National Parks - The vendor that manages many of the park services has a wonderful environmental outlook. I have been to many national parks and most are fantastic, check ‘em out sometime.
• Camping - The campground of course had lights on in the bathrooms and they were heated, but our tent had no electricity, no television, no radio, just good companionship and a warm fire.  We even used our “wind-up” flashlight (no batteries!).
• Hiking - While hiking, we took the camera but other than that, not much else.  It was carry-in/carry-out, so we took light weight lunches that generated little trash to make it easier to carry.  
• Buy local - One of my favorite things to do on any vacation is sample the local wines.  Buying local is a great way to keep waste down.  If you are there buying direct, they don’t have to transport the products and have better control over the quality.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t take a “staycation” or that you shouldn’t take a flight to stay at an amusement park resort. I’m just saying there are other great options that many people have forgotten about.  Get in tune with nature. Visit a national park. Go camping.