We all know that there are a lot of grants out there that are a bit unusual. This bit of research says to me that:
a.) Someone has too much time on their hands.
b.) Someone else has too much time on their hands, in that they probably lobbied for, and developed the grant that resulted in this research.
Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research.
While millions of people tap into Google without considering the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2 Boiling a kettle generates about 15g. “Google operates huge data centres around the world that consume a great deal of power,” said Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist whose research on the environmental impact of computing is due out soon. “A Google search has a definite environmental impact.”
So the next time you initiate that google search… think about it, do you need to have that large a carbon footprint?? Incredible.
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