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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2012)
June 2012 FEATURES Dear EarthTalk: Why is Green- peace upset with some leading tech companies for so-called “dirty cloud computing?” Can you explain? – Jeremy Wilkins, Waco, TX Leading tech companies like Google, A pple and Microsoft are now of- fering unprecedented amounts of data storage and access to “apps” on huge Internet-connected servers, saving consumers and businesses the hassle of installing and running programs and storing information on their own local computers. This emerging trend, dubbed “cloud computing,” means that these providers have had to scale up their power consumption con- siderably, as they are increasingly responsible for providing more and more of the computing horsepower required by the world’s two billion Internet users. No doubt, sharing such resources on centralized servers is more ef- ficient than every individual and business running their own versions separately. In fact, the research firm Verdantix estimates that companies off-load- ing data and services to cloud serv- ers could save $12 billion off their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 million metric tons within the next decade. But for the greenhouse gas sav- ings to be realized, the companies offering cloud computing services need to make the right energy choices. Greenpeace has been tracking sustainability among tech compa- nies for over a decade, and recently released a report, “How Green is Your Cloud?” assessing the green footprint of the move to cloud computing. According to the analysis, some of the major players (Google, Face- book and Yahoo) have gone to great lengths to ensure that significant amounts of the power they need come from clean, green sources like wind and solar. But Greenpeace chastises others (Apple, Amazon and Microsoft) for relying on so-called “dirtier” sources of power, such as coal and nuclear, to run their huge data centers. “When people around the world share their music or photos on the cloud, they want to know that the cloud is powered by clean, safe energy,” says Gary Cook, a Senior Policy Analyst with Greenpeace. “Yet highly innovative and profit- able companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are building data centers powered by coal and acting like their customers won’t know or won’t care. They’re wrong.” Greenpeace’s report evaluates 14 major tech firms and the electricity supply chains in use across more than 80 different data centers that power cloud-based services. Some of the largest data centers are in buildings so big they are vis- ible from space and use as much power as 250,000 European homes. If the cloud were its own country, says Greenpeace, it would rank 5th in the world in electricity consump- tion. “Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in Save BIG on Legendary Omaha Steaks® World-famous Omaha Steaks, aged to perfection, flash-frozen at the peak of flavor and delivered to your door... 100 % guaranteed! T hrill Dad! Father’s Day is June 17th. 45393ZLT Thrill The Grill Combo 6-Piece Cutlery Set and FREE Cutting Board 2 (6 oz.) Filet Mignons 2 (6 oz.) Top Sirloins 4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.) 4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 4 Stuffed Baked Potatoes Reg. $ 161.00 99 49 $ Now Only ..... Get 2 FREE Gifts with purchase Limit of 2 packages and 1 FREE Cutlery Set and Cutting Board per address. Standard shipping & handling will be applied per address. Hurry! Offer expires 6/30/12. ©2012 OCG | 13884 | Omaha Steaks, Inc. Call Free 1-888-902-8359 • www.OmahaSteaks.com/dd48 The Southwest Portland Post • 5 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is a new attempt in a new millennium to “lay the foundations of a world of prosperity, peace and sustainability.” It's scheduled for June 20-22. (Photo courtesy of Artyom Sharbatam) energy efficiency, prioritizing re- newable energy access when siting their data centers, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers,” reports Greenpeace. But unfortunately the majority of the industry is not marching in step. As such, Greenpeace is calling on all tech companies with cloud services to develop siting policies based on access to clean energy sources. Those policies include: invest in or directly purchase renewable energy, be transparent about their energy usage, share innovative solutions so the sector as a whole can improve, and demand that governments and utilities increase the percentage of clean, green power available on the grid. Contacts: Verdantix, www.ver- dantix.com; Greenpeace, www. greenpeace.org. EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Envi- ronmental Magazine. Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Cactus Jack’s Sports Bar & Grill 4342SWBeaverton-HillsdaleHwy.,Portland,OR97221•503-977-2161 Burger Wednesday Tropical Thursday French Dip Fridays 1/2 lb. Angus Beef Hand-formed Burgers Hawaiian Club Teriyaki Chicken Breast, Ham, Swiss and Grilled Pinaeapple on a French Roll. $6.95 with Swiss Cheese $6.95 with Cheddar $3.95 with Pepper Bacon $4.95 with Onion Ring Basket 2.50 Teriyaki Chicken Wings-$4.95 PlatinumVideoPokerGameswin$10,000
