As technology leaps forward with new operating systems (Vista), and home entertainment hardware (Playstation 3, Blu-ray, HD-DVD), we often forget about the environmental realities behind such massive production.

In many cases, manufacturing these wares can prove extremely costly to Mother Nature, although at least one prominent American electronics company is pledging to do something about that fact. Hewlett Packard, or HP, recently pledged to drastically reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions.

HP's announcement is all a part of its joint initiative with environmental watchdog WWF (World Wildlife Fund). The ultimate goal of Hewlett Packard is to reduce their gas emissions by about 15% over the course of four years. It's their goal that, by the next Olympic games, they'll have set in motion a "clean" trend for other tech leaders to follow (ironic, isn't it?).

Unfortunately, HP isn't doing all of this environmentally friendly business without a gentle nudge from a major nature group. The HP efforts stem from legal action brought against the company by the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA.

Global environmental program manager for HP, Robert Parkhurst, assures the media that Hewlett Packard's recent initiative has nothing to do with past digressions between it and CERCLA, but instead concerns the future of the environment. Sure. (source: zdnet.com)

Whether Parkhurst is "full of it" or not, it's clear HP is making some headway in reducing the pain inflicted upon the environment. On their website, Hewlett Packard boast reductions of 7% in hazardous waste volumes over the course of 2005. (source: hp.com)

Now that HP has set the bar, it's up to other industry leaders to join them in cleaning up the tech world.