Is the Internet Bad for the Environment?

Most people, including myself, don't consider the carbon footprint of the internet. According to NewScientist:

One estimate suggests it takes a whopping 152 billion kilowatt-hours per year just to power the data centres that keep the net running. Add to that the energy used by all the computers and peripherals linked to it and the whole thing could be responsible for as much as 2 per cent of all human-made CO2 emissions, putting it on a par with the aviation industry.

Just one internet search on Google creates 200 milligrams of CO₂.  This may not sound like much, but think about how many internet searches are done each day across the world.

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Posted by Jennifer Lance at May 28, 2009 10:32 AM