[clug] CO2 footprint of Searches: Storm in A Tea Cup or Deep Green Issue?

[steve jenkin]

Apropos the search for a Green Laptop.
Mentioned on Lateline this week.

"0.2g" per (google) search.

BBC
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7823387.stm>

Google
<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/powering-google-search.html>

TechNewsWorld - 7g or 0.2g. 35KJ (10Wh) or 1KJ (0.3Wh) per search?
<http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Harvard-Prof-Sets-Record-Straight-on-Internet-Carbon-Study-65794.html>

Harvard University physicist Alex Wissner-Gross,
"who manages the Web site CO2stats.com"
<http://www.co2stats.com/>



I would've thought that server side was only a small part of the
equation... Backbones, transoceanic fibre, routers/switches, ISP's,
billing systems, ADSL, DSLAM's and your little old Desktop or Laptop
chugging away filling "black balloons" (according to the Adverts)

IIRC, datacentres account for some very significant percentage of power
used in Silicon Valley... [facts, anyone?]

Average household electricity consumption is ~18kWh/day (67MJ/day).
In 2020 projected IT equipment use 3.2% residential electricity.

Environment Australia:
"ENERGY USE IN THE AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTIAL SECTOR 1986 – 2020"
<http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/energyefficiency/buildings/publications/energyuse.html>



And what we know for sure:

  Linux produces less CO2 :-)



Hug the Planet, get a Penguin on your Desktop!

-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin