Neel Mehta
With much attention and investment going to the future of green technologies and individuals scaling back on expenses during a recession, a green app may be just what the environment ordered. The following five apps will help you save money, clean up your community and stay informed:
- Carbon Tracker ““ this app will help you calculate how much carbon you use on business trips, vacation or other travel. You can specify whether you traveled using car, bus, airplane, etc. Best of all, this app is free.
- GoodGuide is a bar code scanner that ranks products in terms of their environmental record, healthiness and social responsibility. So far, its database has more than 65,000 products.
- CreekWatch, an app recently developed by IBM, allows users to record the water quality and cleanness of their local streams and creeks, updating water officials in real time. Christine Robson of IBM Research said: “Harnessing the crowd-sourced data movement for a cause people care about is a win-win-win for citizens, local water boards and IBM’s desire to solve big data challenges.”
- iRecycle uses GPS technology to locate the closest recycling center to you. The app also lists disposal centers for specialty items such as old cellphones.
- GreenMeter helps you drive more efficiently by calculating your power and fuel use. It updates you in real time, so you can adjust your driving as you go. The app costs $5.99, but claims it can pay for itself in two tanks of gas.
