How Big Is Your Google Footprint?

Home | Switchboard, from NRDC (Sep 16 2011) Emissions

1. The biggest energy and environmental impact of using Google and other internet services may not be where you think it is. The rapid spread of large data centers that power the internet is responsible for a growing energy use and share of carbon emissions. It is tempting to jump to the conclusion that the internet and all its services stand in the way of energy and environmental sustainability. Not necessarily so! Google recently released the environmental footprint of several of its data centers and “cloud” services. First, let’s give Google kudos for its transparency: disclosing the energy footprint of web services is critical to enable users to hold their service providers accountable for minimizing their environmental impact, as well as to manage their own footprint. Google’s energy use and carbon emissions numbers seem huge in aggregate, but much more modest when considered from the perspective of individual users. (Read Full Article)

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