Thursday, June 21, 2007

Google will go carbon neutral by the end of 2007

To any one concerned about our dear earth, will be happy to hear that a globally known entity like Google tipping the hat will make a major effect. I have earlier written about Google's Solar Energy efforts. But I did not think at that time that Google will reach Carbon Neutrality by this time frame.
I am surprised everyday how much less people know what they are doing to this planet. All innocent family and people loving people, just not enough awareness of things we could do to help conserver a tiny part of this planet.
Google has done super service by joining the many a companies, governments and individuals that further this effort. If you ask 100 people if they knew what is Solar energy is you will be surprised at the answers. But they will surely will know what Google is! So there you go. Thanks Google.
So what is this carbon neutrality? Well it is long way to explain but for now I will tell you how Google is doing it!
Google's plan to neutralize it's carbon footprint includes three basic strategies:
- reduce energy consumption by maximizing efficiency;
- invest in and use renewable energy sources; and
- purchase carbon offsets for the emissions that we can't reduce directly.

To calculate Google's carbon footprint, They have taken into account emissions from purchased electricity, employee commuting, business travel, construction, and server manufacturing. In a partnership with the Environmental Resources Trust (ERT), Google has independently verified this assessment, and will continue to do so every year.

in addition, Google already has several other environmental programs and initiatives in place. Last week Google announced the Climate Savers Computing initiative to greatly improve computing energy-efficiency standards. (Make sure your next computer purchase is a compliant PC!)
Transportation is another major area of focus. Google employee shuttle system provides a commute for more than 1,500 Googlers daily around the San Francisco Bay area, and several hundred more have also taken advantage of the rebate Google offers when an employee bought a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Google is equally committed to finding and developing new green technologies and sources of energy. Google has just completed its solar panel installation in Mountain View, the single-largest corporate solar installation in the U.S. to date.
Google have also joined the World Resources Institute's Green Power Market Development Group. And of course Google.org is working on creative new initiatives, including plug-in hybrid cars. In addition, Google has set itself the ambitious goal of creating 50 megawatts of new renewable generation capacity--enough to power 50,000 typical U.S. homes--by 2012.

Information gathered from Official Google Blog: Carbon neutrality by end of 2007
Google also has a site specifically dedicated to clean energy initiative at Google here.

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