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You might be sitting in a chair at a café or lying on your bed at home, but you can do a lot for the planet from your Mac PC.

We are the generation of multitaskers and our personal computers are where a lot of the evidence lies. From instant messaging to Facebook to YouTube, let's admit it - we leave our online class window open for hours as a time, but that time is largely spent being wasted in as many ways as possible.

Facebook provides a number of opportunities to turn social networking into something a little less selfish. Applications like (Lil) Green Patch, allow you to "give" other facebook friends cute plants to display in their virtual gardens. Each time you use the application, more square footage of rainforest is saved by sponsors who donate money.

Facebook also features the 'I Am Green' application, which lets you collaborate with other eco-minded users to find new ways to have less impact on the environment. Your "green-ness" is measured in 'leaves' that you collect and your total is displayed to other people on facebook. It's a fun way to share your inventive methods of reusing, reducing and recycling and feel like you're part of a community who appreciates it.

How many times a day do you use Google or Wikipedia? What if every time you wanted to look something up, you could save more rainforest? You can. Friends Green is a search engine that operates the way (Lil) Green Patch does- with sponsors who donate money based on user traffic. Currently the search is powered by Yahoo!, but used to run from Google which might become an option again soon. You can set your homepage to the main site and invite friends to have even more of an impact.

If you're an addict to updates, GreenMaven might be the Web site for you. Featuring a search engine, news reader and directory all focused on being green, the site enables you to locate stories and information you might otherwise have missed. A Web site like this makes it a lot easier to find the closest earth-friendly stores and restaurants.

Maybe you spend a lot of time online because you're actually working on your own Web site. Sustainablehosting is a web host that is carbon-neutral- your Web site is run off of renewable energy wind power. So even if your Web site has nothing to do with being green, it could have a lot less impact on the environment. Everyone who visits can see you take environmental responsibility seriously.

Nothing is easier for a college student than spending time on the Internet. Now there's no excuse for not doing your part for the environment- you don't even have to go to the recycle bin with that pile of energy drink cans (although you really should).

SIDEBAR: Click, Click, Click!
You can join facebook at www.facebook.com
Search and save the rainforest! www.friendsgreen.com
The go-to site for greener everything www.greenmaven.com
Wind-powered web host www.sustainablehosting.com

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