How to Green Your Online Activity
Look for Efficiency, Renewable Energy
Online technology consumes more energy than you might think: here are some ways to improve efficiency.
While you might think you're being green by sitting at your computer and shopping online rather than driving to a store, the Internet still comes with environmental costs you might not be aware of.
Recent studies are showing that our growing reliance on all things online is driving a rapid growth in the demand for energy to power Internet data centers around the globe. In fact, data center energy consumption doubled between 2000 and 2006, and it's expected to double again in a mere four years. Meeting that increased need for power would require 10 new power plants in the U.S. alone.
While all of us are doing more online than ever before, that's only part of the problem. Internet computing, it turns out, has gotten away with being terribly energy-inefficient over the years, with data centers averaging only 56 percent efficiency. (Note: your home computer probably has even worse performance, possibly as low as 6 percent. That's another reason to switch off your PC whenever you're not using it.)
The good news is that many IT (information technology) companies are taking the energy challenge seriously, and are looking for ways to improve efficiency and conserve power. The bad news is that many others haven't gotten there yet. According to one report, fewer data centers are looking for ways to go green this year than were last year (down to 51 percent from 55 percent).
And here's another cause for concern: by consuming a lot of (typically, fossil fuel-based) energy, Internet data centers are also emitting lots of greenhouse gases: as much as Argentina and the Netherlands today. Worse yet, those emissions are growing. If the IT industry continues with business as usual, its emissions will be greater than those of all the world's airlines by 2020.
So what can you, as a green-minded Web surfer, do to help? Here are two suggestions:
Learn more about the companies that are providing your Internet access, email service or Website hosting. Check their Websites to see if those companies are taking steps to curb energy consumption, reduce emissions and green their operations. If you don't like what you see, call, write or email the company's chief technology officer (CTO) and urge him or her to improve effiency and cut pollution.
Explore greener alternatives for Internet service. If your online service providers aren't making a solid enough commitment to helping the environment and reduce energy consumption, consider switching to a company with a better record. Some Web hosting providers, for example, choose to use solar or wind power instead of fossil fuels, while others invest in carbon credits or support other environmental programs to help offset their impact on the planet.
