Written By:
Demeter - Date published:
10:23 am, February 26th, 2010 - 3 comments
Categories: climate change, energy -
Tags: coal, facebook, greenpeace, renewable
Nothing like a good IT stoush, particularly of the David and Goliath variety.
Greenpeace has blown the whistle on Facebook’s use of coal to power its new data center in (note: renewable-rich) Oregon. The supposedly forward-looking social networking site picked this energy dinosaur (and the world’s leading cause of climate change), because it figures the incremental price increases associated with coal are preferable to the pricing system for renewables.
Wrong and naughty, says Greenpeace, which has a long-running a campaign to ‘green’ the IT industry. It reckons IT solutions such as video conferencing, smart power grids, and highly efficient components could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020.
In a dazzling example of snaffling your opposition’s weapon and beating them with it, Greenpeace has set up a ‘we want Facebook to use 100% renewable energy’ Facebook group.
The site has responded, claiming full commitment to sustainability.
Team Greenpeace is gaining ground, with nearly 14,000 joining the Facebook group, but is not without its detractors. Watch this space.
https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.jsHer poem If Katherine Mansfield Were My ...
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Meanwhile, back in 100% Pure New Zealand – soon to be the hub or international banking transactions – coal mining on the conservation estate (thanks Labour!) has been running out of money. Just how much of the profits from New Zealand coal are going to be heading offshore now?
Okay, look… I’m prepared to go along with this provided every teenage / 20-something girl who posts her party photos / latest crush / embarrassing medical symptoms on Facebook has to pay for use of the site by shovelling coal in Facebook’s boiler room.
I look forward to the day when the Sea Shepard sends a strong video conference to the Japanese whalers.