Setting the Example_Still a long way to go judging by the Top Cloud Computing Proponents

Following twitting my previous post "Green economies around the world ? Implications of resource use (materials in fact) for development and the environment", I found the following post due to Scientific American entitled

"How Clean Is the Energy Used by Tech Companies for Cloud Computing?"

Intro:

Quote: "This emerging trend, dubbed “cloud computing,” means that these providers have had to scale up their power consumption considerably, as they are increasingly responsible for providing more and more of the computing horsepower required by the world’s two billion Internet users. 

Savings estimated by research firm Verdanix

 "sharing such resources on centralised servers is more efficient than every individual and business running their own versions separately.  Verdantix estimates that companies off-loading data and services to cloud servers could save $12 billion off their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 million metric tons within the next decade. But for the greenhouse gas savings to be realised, the companies offering cloud computing services need to make the right energy choices."

 “How Green is Your Cloud?"

 "Gary Cook, a Senior Policy Analyst with Greenpeace, tells us that highly innovative and profitable companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are building data centers powered by coal and acting"

Greenpeace highlights the Issue:

"Greenpeace’s report evaluates 14 major tech firms and the electricity supply chains in use across more than 80 different data centers that power cloud-based services. Some of the largest data centers are in buildings so big they are visible from space and use as much power as 250,000 European homes. 

If the cloud were its own country, says Greenpeace, it would rank 5th in the world in electricity consumption."

Top Techies let off the hook:

"“Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in energy efficiency, prioritising renewable energy access when siting their data centers, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers,” reports Greenpeace. But...

The Villains

"the majority of the industry is not marching in step. As such, Greenpeace is calling on all tech companies with cloud services to develop siting policies based on access to clean energy sources, invest in or directly purchase renewable energy, be transparent about their energy usage, share innovative solutions so the sector as a whole can improve, and demand that governments and utilities increase the percentage of clean, green power available on the grid. "

Hence my title 

'Setting the Example_Still a long way to go judging by the Top Cloud Computing Proponents'

If the savy guys are not playing by the clean rules is their any hope?

Naturally this title and underlying meanings applies well beyond techies and Computing to many if not all walks of life as underlined by the New French President, François Holland. François, please do not stop at your first "symbolic" measures but put this into practise throughout Government - Make the example the rule, the standard. (There is no ISO XXX standard for Politics or Managers) Your position as a leader can only be re-enforced. Only on such a trajectory can The CAC 40 enterprise leaders-demeanours and the negligent Techies be brought to task.

Enjoy 

 REF:

Scientific American.com "Computings-Substantial-Footprint"

Greenpeace International_Climate-Reports_"How-Clean-is-Your-Cloud/"

Verdantix

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