It seems that, by some sort of intergalactic law, every blogger on earth has to use Apple’s new iPad as the subject of a blog post, no matter how tenuous the link. Well I’m not going to be buying an iPad anytime soon as my iPhone and MacBook Pro cover all my Applacholic cravings. But I do find that my iPhone in particular is a fantastic tool with many green attributes – and I’m not just talking about Apple’s shiny new green image.

It’s more the flexibility and adaptability of the device. When I started interviewing people for The Green Executive last summer, I thought “I’ll need a voice recorder”. No need – a cheap app covers all my requirements – no extra stuff required. Likewise the dictionary, maps, train timetables etc etc – never mind the fact that I don’t need a separate iPod/MP3 player/organiser or anything else ever. And I rarely buy music in a physical format any more.

I had the opposite problem when my 3 wireless broadband 1st year offer came to an end. I had two choices – go on a monthly tariff with the existing dongle which would work out as £180, or, ditch the old one and get a new one (materials, embodied energy, packaging, documentation, SIM) with a year’s free use for £80. What a stupid and unsustainable business model – more stuff costs 44% of the price of no extra stuff and encourages me to consider rival options.

From the sublime to the ridiculous…