Can using Google really contribute to global warming?

Feb.01, 2009 in Internet

OGoogle CO2 issue

A study conducted by Harvard University physicist Alex Wissner-Gross, published in The Sunday Times, stated that performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea A typical search, according to the study, generates about 7g of carbon dioxide and with more than two million internet searches estimated daily, it is bound to leave many concerned. Data centres, Wissner-Gross says, consume a great deal of power Google’s searches don’t go to one server alone, and even sends out data to servers thousand miles apart. This lets the infrastructure to send data from whichever produces the answer the fastest
Wissner-Gross studied the CO2 emissions caused by individual use of the internet. Viewing a simple web page generates about 0.02g of CO2 per second, according to the research This increases to about 0.2g of CO2 a second when viewing a website with complex images, animations or videos.
Other analysts came up with different estimates John Buckley, managing director of a British environmental consultancy carbonfootprint.com, estimates Google searches CO2 emissions to about 1g and 10g, depending on whether you have to start your PC or not. Running a PC alone generates between 40g and 80g per hour, according to Buckley Chris Goodall, author of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet, estimates about the carbon emissions of a Google search at 7g to 10g within 15 minutes of computer use.
These estimates are “many times too high”, Google says in defense from the issue In their official blog, the search engine giant declared that their data centres are designed and built as the most energy efficient ones in the world. Google search produces very minimal energy because of this The greenhouse gases a typical Google search produces is equivalent to about 0.2 grams of CO2. The standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don’t reach that level yet, meaning the average car driven for one kilometer (0.6 miles for those in the U.S.) produces as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches.
Despite the doubts arising on Google’s energy use, many also sprung into the defense of the internet giant Comments on how Google remains one of the most eco-friendly companies poured from readers all over the world. Kevin Marks states that breathing generates about 6g of carbon every 10 minutes, as much as Wissner-Gross’ computer estimate does. “I suggest you hold your breath while you search Google, to offset your carbon use,” he quips. “Power use is a cost for Google and other computing companies, so bringing down power consumption of anything in its infrastructure is just good for its business, beyond the environmental impact”, according to Katie Fehrenbacher. “If there was an easy way for Google to reduce that per-query energy consumption, it probably would have done it already.” It isn’t even about Google, Nick Carr points out, “It’s about us,” and how much energy we consume and waste every time we power our computers and other gadgets.

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