Green Computing
I. Introduction
Green Computing has become an innovative way on how technology and ecology converge together. With the recent years many industries and companies have turned their attention in realizing how going 'green' can benefit public relations, reduced costs, and lowering global emissions from industrial manufacturing. Though the term green computing covers a vast range of methods, from energy saving techniques, to the study of materials used in our lives, it all fundamentally breaks down to finding ways to not damage or consume all of earth's natural resources.Ultimately green computing focuses on ways in reducing overall environmental impact, its main purpose is to find and promote new ways of reducing pollution, discovering alternative technologies, and creating more recyclable products (Gingichashvili, 2007).
II. Background
The idea of green computing has been around a good time, the government themselves play a role in it. For example the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 'energy star' program in the 90s, to promote energy efficient methods. The EPA today still plays an active role by providing not only energy effective methods, but also cost effective methods for the consumers. In 2006 the EPA established a way to save U.S. households and businesses money; "With an eye to saving U.S. households and businesses more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next 5 years, today EPA announced new Energy Star specifications for computers and related equipment.These new modifications are also expected to prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million cars."(Jones, 2006) Though the EPA is a recognizable agency, they are not the only ones who promoting new ways of going green in the technological aspect. Organizations such as European Union and TCO Certification are one of the leading groups in green computing.
III. Potential Benefit
The ever rapid growth of technologies and innovations brings forth many ways on how green computing will have a positive impact, along with great benefits. The benefits of green computing is large, not only from just the consumer, or business, or country's standpoint, but a global benefit. Green computing helps reduce energy demands, waste, and money of how we use technology which positively effects the environment, and our costs.Though the method of green computing can also benefit in simple ways, methods such as turning off your computers during the night. For example, a computer left on for "24 hours will cost you between $115-160 in annual electric costs and also produce 1,500 pounds of CO2 in the atmosphere" (Schneider, 2008). By simply turning off your computer during the nights, you ultimately can save up to" 67 percent annually in your electric bill"(Schneider, 2008), along with reducing greenhouse gases. Overall the benefits of green computing will result in saving money, reducing costs, and conserving energy, along with helping the environment.
IV. Ethical Issues
Going green is not only a fashion statement, it is a real movement that begun back in 1992 with "The Energy Star Program" (Brandrick, 2009). It has become a way of life for many big corporations to try and reduce the amount of energy waste that they would normally excrete and nowadays it is not only expected to be done by such corporations but also by small businesses and individuals alike who have a moral responsibility to their community.Due to the widely known need to save energy and natural resources of our ever dyeing planet many manufacturers have come out with ideas on how to make your device energy efficient, the problem is that with good inventions come the useless ones and those are made to assume a purpose that it is not properly attributed. Some manufacturers will label a product as energy efficient just so it can be sold but sadly it will not work.
Consumers can easily be deceived to buy such products that end up causing more harm to the environment "considering the materials and energy used to manufacture it"(Brandrick, 2009) such products are truly a waste.Like the "Eco Button that promised its consumers that they would save energy and money" (Brandrick, 2009) on their PC but there was a downloadable content available on the internet that would provide the same results. It is not moral or ethical for such manufacturers to lie on the efficiency of their product but it's not illegal to say that the product was misinterpreted by the consumer.
V. Security Concerns & Social Problems
Many belief that being eco-friendly is a get rich idea from big corporations that know that if the consumer is unhappy then they will not buy their product. Even though this is somewhat true and the consumer does look bad at companies believed to be unjust, it is also true that such companies care for the environment. We all remember the "Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill" (Mufson, 2010) and how things like that can "seriously burn their reputation" (Wharton, 2007), this is why such big companies care for the environment and how they affect it. We all remember the oil spill on the gulf of Mexico in 2010 and how that dilemma hurt the BP company and still is hurting it even after a year, if they had followed all the right protocols maybe this tragedy could have been averted.
VI. Further Required Research
Advancements in green computing have become vast. There are so many new ways of combining ecology with technology, that we practically are trying a bit of everything. Such as using solar technology, solar technology now is being used on keyboards and mice now to reduce energy costs. Another green computing method is eliminating certain materials that are hazardous to the environment, and replacing them with cleaner and efficient materials which are biodegradable and eco-friendly. Even now certain computer components such as processor units have reduced heat emissions, and monitors as well with their advancement of flat screens.
Not only is green computing effecting components and other various hardware, it has changed in ways businesses use technology such as cloud computing. Cloud computing essentially is a method of a user connecting to a network or server, through the internet. Ultimately this reduces the need of businesses to have purchase more computers, which can emit greenhouse gases when left on.
The practice of green computing has essentially branched off to every form of technology out there. Cars being a great example, now with hybrids becoming mainstream, people are able to save on gas, money, and also cutting on carbon monoxide, and other various dangerous gases to the atmosphere.
Green computing has also grasped how industries market themselves, and many realize how going green in their technologies can aid them. One great example of green computing corporation is Apple. "Apple has been criticized by some environmental organizations for not being a leader in removing toxic chemicals from its new products, and for not aggressively or properly recycling its old products" (Jobs, 2009) but that has changed, when looking now upon Apple's computers, their unibody designs material is a great source to dissipate heat, along with their products being able to conserve energy very well. Not only have they implemented ways in being more eco-friendly by removing hazardous materials in their computers and products, but their manufacturing and delivering their goods has also been altered to help the environment.
VII. Conclusion
Overall the effects of green computing with its benefits, practicality, and uses are all positives. All which are great for not only the individual, but also all around the globe. By going "green" in technology we help promote an eco-friendly and cleaner environment, along with our own benefits by reducing costs, conserving energy, cutting down on waste and greenhouse gases. Green computing has definitely come a long way, but with so many new innovations coming along in regards of preserving the environment, it is safe to say that green computing is a great development.
References
Brandrick, C. (2009). Green Computing: the good and the bad. The Washington Post, Retrieved February 28, 2011 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/11/06/AR2009110604215.html
Gingichashvili, S. (2007, November 19). Green computing. Retrieved on March 1, 2011 from http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/1003/green-computing.html
Jobs, S. (2009). A greener apple. Retrieved March 1, 2011 from http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/
Jones, E. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Epa announces new computer efficiency requirements Washington, DC: Retrieved March 3, 2011 from http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a8f952395381d3968525701c005e65b5/113b0c0647fee41585257210006474f1!OpenDocument
Mufson, S. (2010). Gulf of mexico oil spill creates environmental and political dilemmas. The Washington Post, retrieved March 1, 2011 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042604308.html
Schneider Group. (2008). Go green, save green. Retrieved March 2, 2011 from http://www.apcmedia.com/salestool/SLAT-7DCQ5J_R0_EN.pdf
Wharton. It's not easy going green: environmentalism may help your corporate image, but will it keep you in the black?. (2007). Informally published manuscript, Law and Public Policy, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania.Retrieved March 3, 2011 from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid-1653A 
