By: Olivia Bauer
Whether the task involves taking notes, communicating with family and friends, finding a route to a destination, or sharing pictures, technology seems to be present in every part of life. There are an infinite amount of apps available to be downloaded, and they cover all imaginable categories. So, why not make use of technology to live more sustainably? There are many applications relating to environmental topics, and here are a few of them:1. EcoGuideAbout: This is an app that is a guide to ecologically friendly living. It is an information based application that aims to educate its users on a vast range of environmental topics. With this app, users can learn about local food production, sustainable technologies, composting techniques, environmental ethics, permaculture, natural building, and beginning their own vegetable garden. Reviewers have said that this application proves that a sustainable life is less out of reach than most people think. Use this to learn more about living a more sustainable life!Cost: Free!Available for: Iphone2. HappyCowAbout: This application was established with the goal of assisting people find natural, healthy and vegan foods while traveling. Happy Cow is run entirely by vegans and vegetarians, and comes in both app and website form.According to CNN, NY Times, and Wall Street Journal, it is the number 1 vegan restaurant guide. because it lists restaurants around the world that are vegan or vegetarian based. Some features of this app include finding popular restaurants and storing them for future reference, providing reviews, directions, interactive maps for these restaurants, and uploading pictures and reviews of the tasty food.Cost: $3.99Available for: Iphone and Android3. MyUseAbout: This app keeps track of its users’ gas, water, and electricity usage, and this ultimately calculates their environmental footprint. The goal of MyUse is to provide an easy way to track measurements, based on the user's’ average consumption of these three categories. Because of this tracking, the application can create a graph of the data and compare it to averages. Check out how your gas, water and electricity usage compares to averages!Cost: $1.99Available for: Iphone and Android4. EcoSpeedAbout: This is a mobile speedometer that uses a vehicle’s gearbox and GPS to assist its users in driving more efficiently. Its routing technology has been proven to save its users between 30 and 40 percent of their fuel. EcoSpeed allows their users to choose whether they would like to focus more on saving fuel or speed efficiency on their trips. Along the way, this app calculates cost savings and fuel use. Try this application out to save money and gas on your next trip!Cost: $0.99Available for: Iphone and Android5. JouleBugAbout: This is an application that aims to make everyday habits more sustainable by encouraging efficient resource use. JouleBug was created to make sustainable living social, fun, and simple. With permission, this app can connect to its users’ utility accounts and present their resource and money savings. The best part about this app: it is a competition! Users can compete with their friends through Facebook and Twitter, and they are awarded points correlated to their actions’ impact on money and the environment. Another plus to some friendly competition is that friends will be reducing waste and energy bills. Get some friends together, and download this free app for some competition to save the environment!Cost: Free!Available for: Iphone and Android(Cover Image via Creative Commons)