DEFINITION OF GREEN COMPUTING

 

Green computing or green IT, refers to environmentally sustainable computing or IT. In the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices, San Murugesan defines the field of green computing as "the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems — efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment." The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Research continues into key areas such as making the use of computers as energy-efficient as possible, and designing algorithms and systems for efficiency-related computer technologies.

 

HISTORY OF GREEN COMPUTING

 

                                                        

One of the first manifestations of the green computing movement was the launch of the Energy Star program way back in 1992. Energy Star served as a kind of voluntary label awarded to computing products that succeeded in minimizing use of energy while maximizing efficiency. Energy Star applied to products like computer monitors, television sets and temperature control devices like refrigerators, air conditioners, and similar items. One of the first results of green computing was the Sleep mode function of computer monitors which places a consumer's electronic equipment on standby mode when a pre-set period of time passes when user activity is not detected. As the concept developed, green computing began to encompass thin client solutions, energy cost accounting, virtualization practices, eWaste, etc.

   Currently, one of the popular green computing groups is tactical instrumentalists. This group applies and uses green computing philosophies mainly to save up on costs rather than save the environment. This green computing concept emerged naturally as businesses find themselves under pressure to maximize resources in order to compete effectively in the market. This movement arose mainly from economic sentiments rather than political pressure.

    Strategic Leaders take into account the social and environmental impacts of new and emerging technologies. Aside from minimizing costs, this particular movement also takes into account other factors such as marketing and branding. Unlike the position held by tactical instrumentalists, strategic leaders recognize the need to overhaul some existing policies or structural makeup of the organization. This can be seen in recent efforts to make IT personnel directly responsible for managing, minimizing and ensuring efficient energy expenditures.

 

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GREEN COMPUTING

 Disadvantages

Green computing could actually be quite costly.

Given that there has been a green process that the computer will have gone through in order to make the computer in the first place; there will usually be some kind of added cost when the computer has been finished. Green computing takes a lot of new technology, and hence, you may find that you will have to pay a premium price for your new green computer.

A perfect example is that the greenest modern computers today are Mac books and Mac book Pros. These computers are hardly inexpensive - they're actually some of the most expensive computers in the market.

Some computers that are green may be considerably underpowered. 

Some people may need incredibly power-consuming and powerful computers to deal with the tasks that they need them to do. This is another disadvantage that many people who have high-powered computers believe to have with green computers. 

Another issue would be that powerful and green computers are more expensive. For instance, Apple's powerful range of computers, including their iMacs, is incredibly green but is also incredibly expensive.

Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and with planned obsolescence has resulted in a fast-growing surplus of unused hardware around the globe. Dave Kruch, CEO of Cash For Laptops, regards electronic waste as a "rapidly expanding" issue. 

Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before a technical solution can be applied.

Benefits of Green Computing

 

Quick Fact!
Vampire power is the term used in reference with consumption of electricity by electronic devices while they are in the stand-by or switched-off mode.

Green computing is the practice of using computers and related technology in an environmentally responsible manner. It aims at radically changing the way we go about computing, using the electronic devices and following strict energy conservation guidelines, so as to minimize the damage caused to the environment by computers. This activity is not just limited to saving electricity, but also takes a holistic approach towards environment-friendly use of computers. Devising innovative and environment-conscious techniques for energy generation is also one of its aspects.

Advantages of Green Computing

There are many innovative technologies and tools which make green computing a viable option for judicious energy usage and environmental conservation. The advantages offered by such technologies are discussed in these points.

Cloud Computing
Touted as a technology that could save substantial amount of energy, cloud computing involves replacing regular servers with the virtual ones. The different areas where cloud computing finds application include data storage, networking, operating systems, software applications. As per studies conducted by the WSP Environment & Energy, it is possible to save as much as 90% of the energy spent in a company of 100 employees. The AT&T-supported Carbon Disclosure Project reported that big US corporations can save as much as $12.3 billion (by the year 2020) if they resort to the use of cloud computing; server utilization too can be increased up to 80%.

Recycling
Through this practice, we can save precious energy, time and money spent in manufacturing these electronic items. Resources used and money spent in manufacturing an electronic item from scratch are far greater than those needed for recycling it. Even in developed countries like USA, only a small percentage of discarded or used electronic items are recycled. France, which is said to be an ecology-responsible country collects only 14% of the e-waste generated in the country. Thus, there is a great scope for recycling electronic items and thereby, preventing environmental damage. Conservation of environmental resources, electricity and money can be achieved through this simple-to-implement step.

Turning Your Computers Off
The practice of switching off computers at night helps in saving a considerable amount of energy. The estimated amount of energy spent in a single year due to round-the-clock use of computer is $115-$160 (Schneider, 2008). Running your computer just 8 hours a day can help save 810 kWh energy on an annual basis. It is a myth that turning the computer off can damage it. Computers are designed for sustaining around 40,000 on/off cycles. Therefore, you need not worry about the computer even if you have to turn it off on a regular basis. The power supplied to scanners and printers should be cut off whenever these devices are not in use. This practice can also save a considerable amount of energy.

Improving Algorithmic Efficiency
Green computing measures can be used for improving the algorithmic efficiency of computers. An efficient algorithm makes minimum use of resources. Therefore, the productivity increases manifold. A simple computing activity like searching for information on a search engine can have an adverse impact on the environment owing to the energy consumed and CO2 emitted in the process. Thus, without improving the algorithmic efficiency, one cannot expect much in terms of energy conservation even from cloud computing.

Architectural Changes
Remodeling the IT architecture that is currently used should prove to be beneficial in the long term. It is not just about following a set of best practices, but also about overhauling the architecture as a whole. A strategy needs to be devised for the development of sustainable technology. This approach is not limited to changing architecture of data centers. In fact, business operations, IT facilities, communications and many other aspects of computer usage need to be taken into account. For example, one can reduce the number of systems being used and increase their efficiency. It is kind of a long-term approach in which the currently used "green" initiatives might change with time. However, the underlying idea of reducing energy consumption and causing minimum damage to the environment remains the same. Merely adding to the density of virtual servers also won't help much. In fact, increasing the rack density through virtualization would necessitate the installation of cooling systems, which again increases the cost and energy consumption. Changes in the architectural designs will increase the accessibility to sophisticated technologies that cause minimum harm to our planet's resources.

Technotrash
Commonly referred to as electronic waste, technotrash refers to the toxic elements that are found inside electronic goods. Therefore, the disposal of such kind of waste has to be carried out with proper care.

Action Plan for Green Computing

Using ENERGY STAR qualified products help in energy conservation.
The Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) catalog can be used for choosing green products.
Organic light-emitting diodes should be used instead of the regular monitors.
Surge protectors offer the benefit of green computing by cutting off the power supply to peripheral devices when the computer is turned off.
Donating your old computers and other peripherals can reduce the rate of e-waste creation. Moreover, those who cannot afford to buy a computer can benefit from such donations.
Through proper disposal of computers and its accessories, it is possible to reduce environmental pollution.
It was expected that computers would help reduce paper wastage. However, even today wastage of paper is a serious issue in industries. The easy availability of photocopiers and printers is also one of the culprits behind unchecked paper wastage. Think twice before using printers. Use the device only if it is necessary.
The manufacturing of disks and boxes needed for video games takes up a lot of resources. Video game manufacturers can offer their games online for download, leading to reduction in e-waste. This move can cut down on the transportation/shipping cost.
Use of 'Local Cooling' software can help in monitoring and thereby, bringing down the energy consumed by your computer. This 'Windows' program makes adjustments to the power options of your computer and helps minimize energy consumption.


Here are few more points pertaining to green computing which will give you some food for thought.

In countries like USA, emission of greenhouse gases resulting from the generation of electricity is quite high. The total volume of gases emitted through electricity generation is much higher in comparison to that from vehicles. In such a scenario, saving electricity becomes a high priority. Thus, green computing can play a major role in protecting the environment through electricity conservation in developed countries.
Till recently, the drive to protect the environment was limited only up to certain areas like saving fuels, reducing carbon emissions, etc. However, green computing adds a new dimension to the movement aimed at protecting the environment.
Taking up the cause of green computing should encourage engineers and designers to create innovative and energy efficient computer models. For example, a company like Google Inc. was able to minimize energy consumption significantly. They were able to decrease the energy consumption to a level of 50% of the industry average.

The most important benefit offered by green computing is that you can influence and motivate a large number of people and make them aware of environmental issues. The reason why it can play a major role in environmental conservation is that computers are items of day-to-day use; while using them, people would constantly be reminded of their responsibility towards the environment. Thus, apart from offering actual benefits of green computing, all these practices would motivate computer users to find new ways and new areas where they can implement green measures for energy conservation.

Green Computer

 

Introduction

• Green economy aims to provide a high quality of life by the efficient use of natural resources. 
• The factors behind adopting green economy are consumption of vast amount of non-renewable resources, non-availability of mineral and energy-resources frequently and growing number of poor people.
• The steps towards developing green economy also make an impact on employment rate by offering green jobs which will define its significance in the future. 
• Green jobs can be created in different sectors, such as agriculture, industry, services or administration. These sectors may include the kinds of jobs that provide protection of ecosystems; reduce the consumption of energy, raw materials and water; and minimize waste and pollution. Now, to do such green jobs, some necessary green skills are required.
• Green skills are the skills required to adapt the processes, services and products for climate change in compliance with the environment rules and regulations related to them.

Introduction to Environment

• Environment can be defined as everything that is around us. 
• It can be living and non-living organisms. It also includes physical, chemical and natural forces. 
• All living organisms live in their physical environment. They continuously interact with each other and adapt themselves to their physical environment.
• Environment is the place, people, things and nature that surround any living organism. 
• It is our basic life support system which provides us the air, the water, the food and the land we need in our daily life. 
• An ecosystem can be represented as a natural unit that contains living organisms, such as animals, plants in order to work together with the physical environment. 
• These organisms fulfill their needs by interacting with the environment to which they belong. These needs include food, air, water, etc. The well-being of all the organisms is absolutely dependent on a healthy environment.

Relationship between Society and Environment

• Ecology is the combination of society people’s beliefs, cultures, activities and customs with respect to environment to fulfill their desires and for their own development.
• Relationship between Society and Physical Environment is shown in following figure:

• The general relations between society and physical environment are as follows:
• Human Activities: Human activities are deeply affected by extremely hot or cold weather. Moderate temperature is always considered as the best condition to evoke a human activity.
• Culture and Civilization: Culture and civilization are greatly influenced by the surrounding environment. The great rivers like the Ganges, the Euphrates, the Nile, the Yangtzekiang, etc., already nurtured our earlier civilizations. The sea coasts were always a threshold for our social and cultural aspects along with acting as a natural barrier for our safety and security.
• Economic Prosperity: The geographical condition of a country is deeply related with the economic prosperity of the region. Sufficient natural resources are necessary for the economic growth of a country. The production in a certain region depends upon the raw materials available in that region.
• The various physical features of the Earth affect the society in various ways, which are as follows:
• Influence on population: The influence of plains on the population can be seen from the fact that a greater number of people live in the plains than elsewhere.
• Influence on economic life: Major industries are found in towns on the plains because of higher density of population and availability of skilled labour.
• Influence on transport and communication: In the plains, there is a wide network of roads and railway lines.
• Influence on social life: The standard of living is higher in the plains as compared to that in the mountain as well as in the desert.
• Influence on political life: Political life in the plains is dependent upon the availability of transport and communication.

Ecosystem

• An ecosystem can be defined as the community of the living organisms with respect to their physical environment. 
• It can be of different sizes with hundreds of different living organisms, such as plants and animals in a fragile balance.
• Factors responsible for causing imbalance in ecosystem are shown in the following figure:

• The description of the factors causing imbalance in the ecosystem are as follows:
• Pollution: It is one of the main reasons behind the ecosystem imbalance. It leads to an unhealthy environment that badly influences the life of the human beings. The main types of pollution are water pollution, air pollution, land pollution, noise pollution, etc.
• Global warming: It continues to play a significant role to imbalance the ecosystem. It increases the temperature of the earth and also causes the climatic changes.
• Degradation of land and soil erosion: It plays a vital role in the destruction of the ecosystem.
• Deforestation: The forests are the one of the vital sources to make the ecosystem balance.
• Excessive utilization of natural resources: The large extraction of the natural resources, such as soil, water, trees and fossil fuels for mining, logging and oil-drilling play a vital role in the destruction of the ecosystem.

Natural Resource Conservation

• The protection, preservation, restoration and rational use of all the natural resources in the total environment are collectively called natural resource conservation. 
• It refers to the conservation of land, water, soil, plants and animals.
• Failure in the conservation of the natural resources will put the future generation in tremendous hardships.
• The given figure displays different ways that can be used to save and conserve the natural resources.

Environmental Protection and Conservation

• Environmental protection and conservation can be defined as the effort of securing the environment by the individual, government and non-government organizations for the profit of both the living organisms and the environment. 
• For the conservation of environment, various programmes like public awareness, conservation of forest, public campaign, environmental pollution, cultural heritage’s protection, etc., can be organized. 
• The major environmental issues are air pollution, water pollution, solid wastes, agrochemicals, radioactive wastes, greenhouse effect, global warming, ozone depletion in the stratosphere, etc.
• Ramsar Convention, Stockholm Convention, Vienna Convention, Montreal Protocol, Rio Earth Summit, Kyoto Protocol, Nagoya Protocol and Paris Agreement are the major environmental conventions, conferences and summits held for the various environmental issues.

Green Economy

• Green economy can be defined as a sustainable economy that improves the human well-being and social equity and also supports the environment and ecological system. 
• It is about filling the gap between sustainable development and unbalanced resources, such as water, air, soil, etc. 
• Green economy helps in sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being.
• Green economy is an economy that results in the growth and development of social well-being and that also aims at improving the environment on safety parameters.

Importance of Green Economy

• Development experts and the World Bank have learned that if we want to succeed in ending poverty, our growth should be inclusive and sustainable. 
• The most critical areas to achieve green economy are– responsible resource management, access to energy and good governance.
• The vital roles played by the green economy are as follows:
• It makes the quality of life better.
• The environmental balances become harmonized.
• The resource efficiency increases.
• It causes new technological development.
• New economic commodities generate, which may be in conformity with the environment.