We all search a lot on the Internet. How much do you Google a day?
The Internet has given society a world where we do not need to travel so much or look too long for the information we need. This saves us a lot of energy, but using the Internet also consumes energy…
A German professor calculated that one search through Google would also make an energy-efficient lamp burn for one hour! Google says that this is not true. Although they don’t want to say how much energy their (over a million) computers use, they do admit it is a lot. It is estimated they use as much energy as a small European country.
As part of their Google Green initiatives the company invests in clean energy (read renewable) solutions. The Google Green program builds on the following pillars: operations, products, and investments next to creating awareness regarding the use of renewable energy.
Not all things that I search for on the Internet are always significant or necessary. It sometimes is just a nice diversion. That is why my New Year’s resolution is to be more ‘energy aware’ and to think before I search on the Internet. To Google or not to Google that is the question for me this year!
I wish you all a happy New Year!
