REFERENCE

Ø What is carbon footprint ? http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonfootprint.html(Retrieved on 28 october 2011)

Ø Effects of carbon footprint http://www.livestrong.com/article/155968-effects-of-carbon-footprint (Retrieved on 28 october 2011)

Ø Green Computing-definition- what does green computing mean? http://www.techopedia.com/definition/14753/green-computing (retrieved 28 on october 2011)

Ø History of green computing its uses and necessity and the future http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/62742.aspx#ixzz1c8PmRsFc (retrieved on 31 october 2011)

Ø What is the latest trend about green computing?http://www.terrabytesconsulting.com/blog/gartners-top-10-trends-green-computing-big (retrieved on 31 october 2011)

Ø What are the advantages of green computing? http://green.answers.wikia.com/wiki/What_are_the_advantages_of_green_computing (retrieved on 31 october 2011)

Ø What are ethical issues in green computing ? http://green-compute.com/green_computing.htm (retrieved on 29 october 2011)

Ø What are organization involved in green computing? http://www.businesspundit.com/25-big-companies-that-are-going-green/ (retrieved on 29 october 2011)

3.0 CONCLUSION

Ø Green Computing is extremely popular. It is not only seen as an organizational responsibility but is also the responsibility that must be undertaken by all computer users. Home computer owners must also resort to green computing practices to make the environment more sustainable.

Ø Equipment that does not conform to the concepts of green computing mentioned here may not be green at all. To be green, computing devices must have a minimal impact on the environment throughout their life cycle. For example, it is hard to consider power-efficient devices manufactured using environmentally destructive processes to be green indeed. It is, therefore, the responsibility of businesses and consumers to purchase and use equipment that adheres to as many green concepts as possible.

Ø Overall effects of green computing benefits, practical, and using all positive. All great not only individuals, but also around the world. By going "green" technology, we will help promote a cleaner environment and environmentally friendly, with our own benefit by reducing costs, energy conservation, reduce waste and greenhouse gases. Green computing has certainly come a long way, but with so many new innovations come together in terms of protecting the environment, it is safe to say that green computing is a great development.

2.9 AN EFFECTIVE INITIATIVE TO ENERGY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

For many years now, responsible environmentalism and energy

Conservationism were not normally associated with computer systems

and technology. But with “going green” currently advocated, there are

various ways of practicing Green computing with technology, which are

as follows.

1. Maintaining easily managed network systems can save a lot of

time and resources. Apparently, an organized network system reduces

network maintenance server requirements hence saving use of resources,

such as electricity, hardware, and other more.

2. Cutting down on paper, electricity, hardware, and toner. Colour

settings of printers should constantly be checked. By calibrating printer

settings, an individual can eventually save substantial amount of money

while producing high-quality printed documents. A floor lamp with an

energy efficient bulb is preferable than overhead ones, saves time and

energy, and non-stressing to the eyes.

3. Virtualizing the actual work setting offers the employees the

capability to work from the comforts of their home without

compromising productivity. Such work set-up allows employees to even

save money from daily use of gasoline and exposure to various

pollutions.

4. Preferring a remote, electronic management system. This system

provides a more efficient printing resolution enabling favourable

productivity thus, ensuring both customer and employee contentment.

5. Monitoring and regulating staff Internet access and use. Content

filter solutions prove to be effective tools in reducing and/or eliminating

potential Internet problems. Doing these help increase staff efficiency

and productivity while achieving a safe Internet environment for every

employee.

6. Using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can save substantial time

and money among employees since the service is either free or low cost.

In conclusion, the process of organizations “going green” does not only

concern computers and technology, but also involves responsible

conservation and management of energy and resources.

2.8 ORGANIZATION INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR GREEN COMPUTING

Companies are learning lessons from best practices organizations that

have taken the green initiative to save energy and at the same time be

environmental conscious. There is a way to reduce the amount of energy

used and this doesn’t have to be bad news for companies.

How is this done?

They did this by changing the normal way of conducting their organization information systems.

First, they did small things. One of them is to change their networking equipment and other devices that provide the same functions but can be controlled in terms of power usage. This has been proven effective in saving operating costs for servers and other devices. Second, it was found out that majority of the energy consumed is not used by the actual devices. A big percentage of the energy is used for cooling devices. The companies were able to make some changes by cutting down the number of servers and devices used.

Other changes in the organization information systems were done such as consolidation. This initiative means that consolidation is made in the data centre. Deploying support mission-critical applications does this. In effect, consolidation would mean fewer servers, which means less power consumption and heat generation. However, other companies who are planning to have changes in their organization information systems must do a balancing act. Fewer servers don’t mean less operational efficiency. To be able to cut down on the servers and still maintain the usual workload, there is a need to deploy more application delivery controllers. Companies who are planning to initiate green computing in their organization information systems can learn from these pioneer companies.

2.6 COMPANY THAT INVOLVED IN GREEN COMPUTING

Figure 2.61

Facebook

Using Facebook to Plug in the Power of Energy Efficiency

• Compare Energy Use to Similar Homes: People will be able to benchmark their home energy use against a national database of millions of homes. All benchmarking will be done on an aggregate level, ensuring complete data privacy.

• Compare Energy Use Among Friends: People will be able to invite friends to compare their energy use against their own, show how energy-efficient they are, and share tips on how to improve.

• Publish Conversations About Energy to the Facebook Newsfeed: People will be able to share information about their energy use, rank, group participation, and tips they’ve completed.

• Group Development – Cooperation and Competition: Communities of people will be able to form teams to help each other achieve collective goals, as well as compete against other groups. Teams will be rewarded and incentivized by their utility or other network partners.

• Automatically Import Energy Data: Customers of participating utilities will be able to import their energy data into the application automatically. (Customers from utilities that are not participating will also have the option to input their energy usage into the app manually.)

figure 2.62

The big project IBM which are manage and measure the seize control with energy management software, plan and build and upgrade to efficient data center ,implement virtualization and other innovative and use innovative cooling solutions

figure 2.63

Another computing company staking its claim to greener pastures is Hewlett Packard. The company has gotten out in front of the computer disposal issue by owning and operating enormous “e-waste” recycling plants that shred discarded, obsolete computer products into raw materials that can be recycled into the industrial food chain. HP has also agreed to take back computer equipment of all brands, and taken steps to ensure that its own products are 100% recyclable in the manner discussed above. Furthermore, the company has promised to lower its energy consumption a full 20% by the year 2010.

figure 2.64

Energy star an international standard for energy-efficient electronic equipment that was created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and has now been adopted by several other countries. Energy Star reduces the amount of energy consumed by a product by automatically switching it into “sleep” mode when not in use or reducing the amount of power used by a product when in “standby” mode. Surprisingly, standby “leaking,” the electricity consumed by appliances when they are switched off, can represent as much as 12 percent of a typical household’s electricity consumption. In Australia, standby power is a primary factor for the country’s increased greenhouse gas emissions — more than 5 megatons (CO2 equivalent) annually.

figure 2.65

Energyware provides efficient computing solutions, which reduce cost and increase the value of enterprise IT infrastructure. Our green computing products bring proven supercomputing technology to commercial customers who demand high performance and efficiency. EnergyWare solutions reduce carbon emissions, increase reliability and significantly lower operational cost while maintaining the performance of enterprise data centers.

2.5 DISADVANTAGES OF GREEN COMPUTING

This green computing is too expensive, experiencing a higher net spend on staff as well as with higher support costs. Energy consumption of distributed IT environments is difficult to audit, but some have also noted a progressive increase in power consumption with the move from centralized to decentralized, then to distributed architecture, and finally to mobility-based computing.

increase in computing power and server numbers for a given floor area multiplies cooling problems, since air is an inefficient media for cooling computers and empty space alone

is insufficient to give adequate cooling. Air conditioning and other cooling techniques are required to keep temperatures in check. A typical 1980s server could be cooled quite easily, but

though a modern server takes up much less floor space, it is more difficult to cool, and requires more space around it. Though it will require less power per unit of computing power, its overall energy requirement will be considerably higher, and the need for improved cooling will further increase energy requirements and environmental impact.

2.4 ADVANTAGES OF GREEN COMPUTING

Figure 2.4

Ø Reduced energy usage from green computing techniques translates into lower carbon dioxide emissions, stemming from a reduction in the fossil fuel used in power plants and transportation.

Ø Conserving resources means less energy is required to produce, use, and dispose of products.

Ø saving energy and resources saves money.

Ø Green computing even includes changing government policy to encourage recycling and lowering energy use by individuals and businesses.

Ø Reduce the risk existing in the laptops such as chemical known to cause cancer, nerve damage and immune reactions in humans.

2.3 CURRENT SCENARIO/LATEST TENDS IN GREEN COMPUTING

A Canadian company, Useful Inc. (www.userful.com) have come up with a solution that turns 1 computer into 10 – Discover Station. Quickly becoming the standard for green computing worldwide, Discover Station leverages the unused computing power of modern PC’s to create an environmentally efficient alternative to traditional desktop computing. Multiple users can work on a single computer by simply attaching up to 10 monitors, mice and keyboards. This makes it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15 tons per year per system and reduce electronic waste by up to 80%. Useful has recently stated that in the last year their software has saved over 13,250 tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking 2,300 cars off the road.

Problems of Electronic Waste

Electronic waste is an increasing problem globally due to the quick obsolescence of electronics, which make up a staggering 70% of all hazardous waste. Computer waste is high in many toxic materials such as heavy metals and flame-retardant plastics, which easily leach into ground water and bio-accumulate. In addition, chip manufacturing uses some of the deadliest gases and chemicals known to man and requires huge amounts of resources.

In an average year 24 million computers in the United States become obsolete. Only about 14% (or 3.3 million) of these will be recycled or donated. The rest - more than 20 million computers in the U.S. -- will be dumped, incinerated, shipped as waste exports or put into temporary storage to be dealt with later. We never stop to consider what happens when our laptop dies and we toss it. The reality is that it either rots in a landfill or children in developing countries end up wrestling its components apart by hand, melting toxic bits to recover traces of valuable metals like gold.

Wasting Electricity

The manufacturing of a computer consumes 1818 kw/h of electricity before it even gets turned on and when running, a typical computer uses 120 watts. Research shows that most PC’s are left idle all day, and many of them are left on continuously. Every time we leave computers on we waste electricity without considering where that electricity comes from. The majority of the world’s electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels which emit pollutants such as sulphur, and carbon dioxide into the air. These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain and global climate change.

2.2 HISTORY OF GREEN COMPUTING

figure 2.2

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency United States launched the Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program designed to promote and recognize energy efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. This resulted in widespread adoption of sleep mode among consumer electronics. The term "green computing" may be created immediately after the Energy Star program began, there were several USENET posts since until 1992 the use of the term this way. At the same time, Swedish organization TCO Development launched TCO certification program to promote the release of low magnetic and electric than CRT-based computer display, the program was later expanded to include criteria on energy consumption, ergonomics, and the use of hazardous materials in construction.

2.1 DEFINITION OF GREEN COMPUTING

figure 2.1

Green computing is the environmentally responsible and eco-friendly use of computers and their resources. In a broader way, it is also defined as the study of designing, manufacturing/engineering, using and disposing of computing devices in a way that reduces their environmental impact.

Many IT manufacturers and vendors are continuously investing in designing energy efficient computing devices, reducing the use of dangerous materials, and encouraging the recyclability of digital devices and printing paper. Green computing practices were primarily introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 with the launch of the Energy Star program.it also known as green IT.

Explanation about green computing

Green computing or green IT aims to attain economic viability and improve the way computing devices are used. Green IT practices include working towards environmentally sustainable production practices, energy efficient computers and improved disposal and recycling procedures.

To promote green computing concepts at all possible levels, the following four complementary approaches are employed:

• Green Use: Minimizing the electricity consumption of computers and their peripheral devices and using them in an eco-friendly manner.
• Green Disposal: Making over an existing computer or appropriately disposing of or recycling unwanted electronic equipment.
• Green Design: Designing energy-efficient computers, servers, printers, projectors and other digital devices.
• Green Manufacturing: Minimizing waste during the manufacturing of computers and other subsystems to reduce the environmental impact of these activities.

Government regulatory authorities are also actively working to promote green computing concepts by introducing several voluntary programs and regulations for their enforcement.

1.2 DISADVANTAGES OF CARBON FOOTPRINT

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Electricity generation and transportation-related activities account for well over half of the 14 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States from 1990 to 2008. The Federal Transit Administration estimates that switching to public transportation instead of driving would allow the average American to reduce his or her carbon footprint by 10 percent. Americans could also reduce their collective carbon footprint by changing their incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lights, preventing the emission of 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

Climate Change

Climate change is the ultimate effect of large carbon footprints. Greenhouse gases, whether natural or human-produced, contribute to the warming of the planet. From 1990 to 2005, carbon dioxide emissions increased by 31 percent. By 2008, the emissions had contributed to a 35 percent increase in radiative warming, or a shift in Earth's energy balance toward warming, over 1990 levels. The decade from 2000 to 2009 was the warmest decade on record worldwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Change Indicators Report.

Depletion of Resources

Large carbon footprints deplete resources on large and small scales, from a country's deforestation activities to one home's increased use of air conditioning. The more those with large carbon footprints use resources, the more greenhouse gases increase and spur further climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that consideration of different energy supplies and conservation of current ones will be needed to balance energy demand. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions as much as possible and off-setting the remaining emissions by planting trees, for example, or supporting alternative energy efforts, will help to reduce the negative effects of carbon footprints

1.1 DEFINITION OF CARBON FOOTPRINT

figure1.1

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

diagram 1.1

The pie chart above shows the main elements which
make up the total of an typical person's carbon footprint in the developed world.