Tuesday 20 February 2007
High street computer chain PC World is taking a green leaf out of schools ICT supplier RM's book by announcing a forthcoming range of "green" PCs. It aims to use recycled materials for its machines and buy "carbon offsets" (ie contribute to tree planting programmes and suchlike).
However, RM is unlikely to agree with PC World commercial director Bryan Magrath’s claim that his company is using "cutting edge component developers to create the first `PC' PC". RM has had a “PC” PC, its ecoquiet, for at least eight months and the people from PC World could hardly have missed it at the BETT educational technology show in January where RM was also establishing its green credentials by handing out trees to visitors!
To add insult to injury, RM has only just launched a major “green” competition for schools in the Education Guardian.
Helston Community College, in Cornwall, had so impressed RM with its science experiment to power its RM Ecoquiet PC with a wind turbine that the company is running a promotion to give away 100 of its Ecoquiet PCs and 100 wind turbines to power them. The schools will also get a pack of cross-curricular materials covering energy issues.
A company spokeswoman said, "Commitment to the environment and all things green are important for all of us. It is especially important for schools and pupils, as our recent annual school-gate survey discovered. Two thirds of 14 to 19-year-olds said they were more concerned with the environment than boyfriends or girlfriends. We've been so impressed by the interest in ecoquiet and Halston's project that we would like to see what other schools could achieve with this technology."
RM says it wants to encourage and help schools develop "green" technology policies and take advantage of the £375 million being made available by the government for schools to spend on energy-saving technology.
All RM PCs are now available as ecoquiet - from entry level to the ubiquitous RM One. More information about the competition, open to all secondary schools and colleges in Wales, Scotland and England until March 30, is available at:
http://www.rm.com/windpc
You can find out more about the range and work out a school's potential savings in energy and cash at:
www.rm.com/lessismore
http://www.surfingthewindyweb.co.uk/
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/schools
