GLOBAL – Sometimes people think there’s a contradiction between using modern technology and caring for the environment. That going green has to involve a return to former times and swapping your modern mobile device for two tin cans connected with a piece of string. That’s not entirely true, of course, and this week’s selection from the Ovi Store offers three ways to help save the planet using your Nokia mobile.

First up is GreenRiders, as spotted on the Ovi Daily App blog last week. Two or more people sharing one car is a lot more environmentally friendly than two or three cars on the road. But finding people to fill the empty seats can seem like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. GreenRiders is intended for car drivers with a seat to spare. You can offer that seat to other members, or ditch your own vehicle for a ride in theirs. Using the app, you enter the start and end location, and the time and date, creating a posting for other members of the network to apply for.

The app is free and is available for S60 5.0 (touch enabled) devices. The network is currently only operating in Finland but will spread to other countries over the course of this year. As more people apply to join the community from a particular country, so it becomes more likely that country will be the next launch, say the developers.

Our next pick is Green Explorer, a Nokia site we’ve written about before on Conversations, but worth mentioning again since its current beta test has just ended. It has two halves to it. First of all, there’s a directory of locations of environmental interest, everything from organic restaurants to public parks. The second part is a green-related blog pointing out new locations and other articles – currently featured articles include a guide to creating a successful naked protest and another on avoiding the world’s worst tourists, for example.

Green Explorer also has a free mobile widget to allow access to the directory while you’re on the move.

While you’re on an eco-kick, it’s also worth pointing out Battery Extender, available in Lite and Pro versions. The app takes care of all the settings behind the scenes that allow you to get more mobile life out of a single charge – you set a profile and it gets to work switching things off and on according to how extreme you want to go.

The Lite version is free and offers the use of two of the seven features in the Pro version, which costs £4.00.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that the Ovi Store has a green channel to allow you to explore and stay up-to-date with all the eco-friendly content in stock. Any more apps or mobile-friendly sites for eco-warriors you’d like to point us to?

image credit: Tambako the Jaguar