More silicon, less carbon

In fighting climate change, are computers part of the problem or part of the solution?

“Please consider the environment before printing this message." Those words, appearing at the bottom of many e-mails, are a visible manifes­tation of a trend that will gather momentum in 2009: the move towards more environmen­tally friendly information technology, or "green it". Advertisements for PCs already tout their meagre energy consumption just as prominently as their number-crunching prowess.

Overall, computing and telecom­munications today produce 2% of glo­bal emissions, according to the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (Gesi), an in­dustry group. Of these, 49% come from PCs and printers, 37% from telecoms networks and devices, and 14% from data centers—the large warehouses full of computers operated by companies.

The overall volume of emissions is comparable with mat from aviation. But the it industry, unlike aviation, has not provoked the wrath of environ­mental campaigners. Perhaps that is because computers are less visibly polluting, or their use is not deemed, like air travel, to be frivolous and unnecessary.

The aviation industry has found itself on the defen­sive, emphasizing its efforts to switch to less fuel-hungry aircraft in the coming years. Makers of computer and telecoms gear, by contrast, have chosen to highlight the volume of emissions their machines produce, because they already have newer, greener products to sell today. New processing chips, clever software that lets one machine do the work of many, and smarter cooling systems can all reduce energy consumption and thus carbon-dioxide emissions.

For vendors, in other words, the large environmen­tal footprint of computing presents a sales opportunity. That is one reason why the hubbub about green it will increase in 2009.

Tom Standage

Answer the questions:

1) What does “green IT” mean?

2) Why do makers of computers pay our attention to the volume of emissions which their machines produce?

3) Should people raise the question of “green IT”? If yes, in what connection with?

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 988