Wissner-Gross studied the CO2 emissions caused by individual use of the internet. The research indicates that viewing a simple web page generates about 0.02g of CO2 per second. This increases to about 0.2g of CO2 a second when viewing a website with complex images, animations or videos.
Other analysts came up with different estimates. John Buckley, managing director of a British environmental consultancy carbonfootprint.com, estimates Google searches CO2 emissions to about 1g and 10g, depending on whether you have to start your PC or not. According to him, simply running a PC generates between 40g and 80g per hour. Chris Goodall, author of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet, estimates about the carbon emissions of a Google search at 7g to 10g within 15 minutes of computer use.
Google answered to this concern by declaring that these estimates are "many times too high". In their official blog, the search engine giant said that their data centres are designed and built as the most energy efficient ones in the world. This meant that the energy consumed per Google search is very minimal. The greenhouse gases a typical Google search generates is about 0.2 grams of CO2. The standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet, which means the average car driven for one kilometer (0.6 miles for those in the U.S.) generates as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches.
Despite doubts arising on Google's energy use, many have also sprung into the defense of the internet giant. Comments on how Google remains one of the most eco-friendly organizations came from readers around the world. "Power use is a cost for Google and other computing companies, so bringing down power consumption of anything in its infrastructure is just good for its business, beyond the environmental impact", Katie Fehrenbacher says, and adding if there was an easy way for Google to reduce that per-query energy consumption, it probably would have done it already. Kevin Marks stated that breathing produces about 6g of carbon every 10 minutes, as much as Wissner-Gross' computer estimate does. "I suggest you hold your breath while you search Google, to offset your carbon use," he said. It isn't even about Google, Nick Carr points out, "It's about us," and how much energy we use and waste every time we power our computers and other gadgets.
The debate is set to continue for some time to come.
Other analysts came up with different estimates. John Buckley, managing director of a British environmental consultancy carbonfootprint.com, estimates Google searches CO2 emissions to about 1g and 10g, depending on whether you have to start your PC or not. According to him, simply running a PC generates between 40g and 80g per hour. Chris Goodall, author of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet, estimates about the carbon emissions of a Google search at 7g to 10g within 15 minutes of computer use.
Google answered to this concern by declaring that these estimates are "many times too high". In their official blog, the search engine giant said that their data centres are designed and built as the most energy efficient ones in the world. This meant that the energy consumed per Google search is very minimal. The greenhouse gases a typical Google search generates is about 0.2 grams of CO2. The standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet, which means the average car driven for one kilometer (0.6 miles for those in the U.S.) generates as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches.
Despite doubts arising on Google's energy use, many have also sprung into the defense of the internet giant. Comments on how Google remains one of the most eco-friendly organizations came from readers around the world. "Power use is a cost for Google and other computing companies, so bringing down power consumption of anything in its infrastructure is just good for its business, beyond the environmental impact", Katie Fehrenbacher says, and adding if there was an easy way for Google to reduce that per-query energy consumption, it probably would have done it already. Kevin Marks stated that breathing produces about 6g of carbon every 10 minutes, as much as Wissner-Gross' computer estimate does. "I suggest you hold your breath while you search Google, to offset your carbon use," he said. It isn't even about Google, Nick Carr points out, "It's about us," and how much energy we use and waste every time we power our computers and other gadgets.
The debate is set to continue for some time to come.
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