Treehugger shows you how to stop wasting energy, choose more energy-efficient gadgets, and eliminate electronic waste. Here are the first five ideas (elaboration at Treehugger.com):

• Go rechargeable. The fastest battery chargers can juice up AAs in as little as 15 minutes and will pay for themselves quickly.

• Kill vampire power. Many of the electronics you leave plugged in 24/7—like your TV and phone charger—are constantly draining energy. If you have them all plugged into a power strip, all you need to do is flop the strip off when you’re not using the electronics.

• Buy with energy in mind. Doing research on different technologies and their respective energy consumption can save you a lot in the long run. For example, LCD TVs use less energy than plasmas.

• Treat those batteries right. Knowing how to best use and maintain rechargeable batteries will boost their longevity and performance.

• Make it a short circuit. Either recycle or resell your old electronics instead of throwing them in the trash. This risks releasing chemicals into the ecosystem.

Photo, CC 2.0, howangcturtle