Aside from power use, there are other green issues in IT. When Robert Rosen recently ordered 130 new computers, he was given a novel option: lead-free components. Rosen, CIO at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in Bethesda, Md., and president of Share, an IBM mainframe user group, says having the choice, which came at no additional cost, represents a growing concern about the toxins in computer products.

Troubling toxins

According to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition in San Jose, computer equipment contains a host of toxic materials, including lead and cadmium in circuit boards, lead oxide and barium in CRTs, mercury in switches and flat screens, and brominated flame retardants on printed circuit boards and cables.

In addition, a 2005 study conducted by Greenpeace International found that most computers collected for recycling in the U.S. are illegally shipped to disassembly sites in China and India, leading to contamination of the environment in those countries.

Government agencies and nonprofits are pushing for changes, and they're being joined by some IT executives and technology manufacturers. NEC Display Solutions of America Inc., for example, is scheduled to be the first monitor company whose full U.S. product line will be lead-free. It's also educating consumers about green issues. Richard Atanus, vice president of product development and customer service and support at NEC, says manufacturers and users will face increasing demands for toxin reductions and recycling as European Union standards take effect this summer and more U.S. states start to pass regulations.