Green gadgets - do people care?

A new survey 'Is There Any Hope For Green Gadgets?' into attitudes towards buying more eco-friendly products makes depressing reading.

However, its question 'What would make you more 'green' with gadgets?' (an awkward question anyway) is loaded with its multiple choice answers.

56% of people said tax rebates and cash incentives.
47% of people said easier ways to recycle gadgets.
29% said information to educate them about what they can do to help.
17% said new laws would make them more green.

Of course people are going to answer tax rebates and cash incentives! and not like new laws.

In fact it is environmental legislation that drives companies to make changes in their product standards, save resources, and indeed develop international standards like Energy Star.

Legislation should actually remove inefficient and wasteful goods from the market. If the choice is taken out, so you can't buy them, there's no need for consumers to feel they have to be bribed or plagued by guilt to help nature.

This is happening with old fashioned light bulbs. It should happen with all wasteful gadgets.

But there is another point. Gadgets are becoming more efficient. But we are not using less energy. This is because we are buying more gadgets.

There's only one real answer - to buy less.