 |
 |
|
||||
|
||||||
| Allen Falcon |
Simple is the Best Solution
Green IT is actually simple. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Reduce With technology, the best opportunities to "reduce" are power consumption and use of hazardous materials. With respect to the latter, many manufacturers are designing systems with fewer hazardous materials. Look for the manufacturer's branding. While vendors' marketing machines try to encourage you to pay a little more for lower power consumption systems, the greatest way to reduce your carbon footprint is to lower electricity consumption for HVAC. Improving airflow in your computer room, or using in-rack cooling systems, will focus cooling on systems rather than open space, saving electricity and lowering costs.
Reuse
Recycle With a little diligence and care, most businesses can significantly reduce power cons. |
|||||
|
||||||
| Chris Caldwell |
With the rapid demand for e-waste recycling, a new industry is emerging at break-neck speed. Too often, businesses turn to the low cost providers for services that appear to be a commodity. For e-waste recycling, "free" is often the lowest cost option. Beware, however, of the true cost of "free". Many e-waste recyclers are banking on your desire to save money and lack of time for research. These providers often ship materials overseas to emerging countries without environmental regulations. Workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals as they strip precious metals from your e-waste and the toxic remains end up in landfills without safeguards to protect water supplies. The result, your e-waste enriches others while destroying the environment someplace else on Earth. If your e-waste recycling effort is more than a means to comply with local and federal regulations, if you intend to help the environment, a few minutes of research can and will make a difference. You may or may not need to pay to have your e-waste removed, but you will rest easier knowing that you have done more than move the problem elsewhere. |
|||||
|
||||||
|
How Google Goes Green
Earlier this year, Google was awarded patents
for a floating data center design. Floating
a few miles offshore, the data center will
use sea water for cooling and will generate
its own electricity using solar power and
wave energy. Skeptics doubt Google will ever
build them.
And yet, several years ago Google was issued patents for a data center built within a standard 8' by 40' shipping container. By managing airflow, Google's design significantly lowered the water and power consumption required to run the servers within the container. For years, skeptics claimed the patents were a publicity stunt. Responding to doubters, Google released a video of an operational data center built using shipping containers. Us "techies" think this is cool (pun intended). If you agree, spend a few minutes and watch the video. |
||||||
|
||||||
Do you know a business owner or manager that might benefit from Strategic Technology Horizons? If so, please forward this issue. Interested in past issues? Click here for the archives.
|
||||||
 |
|
|||||
