Green gadgets

When I see green gadgets like this one, a water-powered clock, my first thought is to admire how ingenious it is and to have hope that we will somehow figure our way out of our various environmental crises.

My second thought is what a complete waste of time this is. What's the greenest gadget? No gadget. Or an old gadget that you keep using. The water-powered clock runs on water and lemon juice, with the lemon juice being replenished every 5-7 weeks. "Save on batteries" says the ad copy, and, at first, it's an appealing thought. 

But wait a minute. How much battery power does a bedside clock consume? Mine runs on one AA, which I have changed once in the last four or five years. Actually, I changed it for a battery that was too dead to run anything else, but has been running the clock for months now.

Replacing my current clock would wind up costing me more in lemons than I spend on batteries, plus there's the environmental effect of unnecessary manufactured goods (not to mention the carbon footprint from lemon transport).