In this age of electronics — where most folks own iPods, cell phones, or laptop computers — having a fully charged battery is not only important but often a necessity. So when the battery is low, the most important thing is to be able to recharge ASAP. Finding an electric plug if you are out in public can be a problem, especially if you go to your favorite café and find someone parked next to and most often commandeering the electric outlet.

But there are portable alternatives that are also better for the environment. Here are a few below:

Portable solar chargers

Companies such as Solar Style and Solio make palm-sized solar chargers that can easily be toted around and used on the go. These chargers can be folded out and loaded up in the sun. Once the solar chargers are full, your electronics are ready to be charged.

Solar Style has a range of sizes and types depending on your needs. The smallest version, that is the size of a cell phone, costs under $40, takes 12-14 hours to charge fully in the sun, and has a 5.5-volt output.

Solio’s most popular chargers are palm-sized sleek pods that fold out into a three-petal design. These chargers are pricier, starting at about $100 with around a 3-volt output. Their non-foldout versions have been used by Kenyan Masai villagers who don’t have indoor electricity. Solio’s chargers are made with recycled and recyclable materials, and they urge their users to make others aware of renewable energy and climate change.

Bags with solar panels

Juice Bags and Voltaic Systems are two such bag companies that not only have solar panels on their bags but also use recycled materials in their bag production.

Juice Bags come in a variety of types from traditional backpacks to messenger bags to beach totes — and all with waterproof, flexible, solar panels on the outsides. The bags start at around $250 and charge using a car cigarette-lighter type of plug.

Voltaic Systems bags start at $199 and you can even customize the color of the solar panels.

Emergency radios

Grundig and the American Red Cross both put out radios that operate with wind-up power or traditional plug-in power. Ambient Weather is a good place to find these.

There are also radios that have a hybrid solar panel and/or hand-crank power choice. Some of these radios also have cell phone chargers and flashlights.

I recently got a Kaito hand-crank radio with a flashlight that lasts for about 30 minutes on one minute of hand-cranking. The flashlight also worked well when I used it to locate whatever was blocking a kitchen drawer from closing properly.

Using less energy is one of the best ways to help the environment, so using portable solar chargers or wind-up technology is not only convenient but also relatively cheap and usable on planes where electric outlets are virtually non-existent.

keeping the earth ever green

Lisa Tae-Ran Schroeder