What
is the Greening of I.T.?
In almost every sector of society there is a growing awareness of environmental issues. One of the single largest, if not the largest threat to the planet and our civilization is climate change. The Pollution of our atmosphere, water, and land is also a serious threat. The greening of IT is a response by the information technology sector to these problems and an attempt to bring its products, services, and systems into line with current environmental trends [1].
The Greening of IT is not a single plan proposed by a coalition of IT companies, rather it is the name of a larger trend. Just as there are many problems that fall under the rubric of the environment (such as GHG emissions, deforestation, and pollution to name just a few), there are many responses to these issues by many agents from within the IT community. According to San Murugesan, adjunct professor at the University of Western Sydney, Australia, green IT includes the following topics:
•
design for environmental sustainability;
• energy-efficient computing;
• power management;
• data center design, layout, and location;
• server virtualization;
• responsible disposal and recycling;
• regulatory compliance;
• green metrics, assessment tools, and methodology;
• environment-related risk mitigation;
• use of renewable energy resources; and
• eco-labeling of IT products [2].
• energy-efficient computing;
• power management;
• data center design, layout, and location;
• server virtualization;
• responsible disposal and recycling;
• regulatory compliance;
• green metrics, assessment tools, and methodology;
• environment-related risk mitigation;
• use of renewable energy resources; and
• eco-labeling of IT products [2].
As mentioned above, one of the main environmental problems we face is anthropogenic climate
change, also known as global
warming, which
is
largely driven by the use of fossil fuels for energy
production.
Naturally, the IT sector is a major consumer of energy and
therefore a serious contributor to our total GHG emissions [3].
Each of the points mentioned in Murugesan’s list could be the subject
of a lengthy research paper or website. However, this website is going
to focus principally on two things: personal computers and the
internet. Or, more specifically, the data centers that connect
individuals to the internet. In the next section, we will examine
energy consumption: data centers and personal computers. After that, we
will look at e-waste, what it is, how the IT industry is responding to
it, and what individuals can do about it. 
LIBR 500: Foundations of Information Technology, School of Library, Archival and Information Science, University of British Columbia
Neil MacDonald
November 17th, 2008