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San Murugesan 1 TECHNOLOGY GUIDE ONE Green IT The Way Forward to Achieving Environmental Sustainability Professor San Murugesan Faculty of Management [email protected]
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TECHNOLOGY GUIDE ONEGreen IT
The Way Forward to AchievingEnvironmental Sustainability
Professor San MurugesanFaculty of Management
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What’s Green IT?
Green IT refers to environmentally sound IT. “Study and practice of designing, manufacturing,
using, and disposing computers efficiently and effectively with minimal impact on the environment.” -- San Murugesan
Thus, green IT adds the dimensions of:1. environmental sustainability 2. the economics of energy efficiency, and 3. the total cost of ownership, which includes the
cost of disposal and recycling.
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“Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating ten more.” - George Bernard Shaw
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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
The growing accumulation of greenhouse gases is changing the world’s climate and weather patterns
For instance, the year 2005 was the warmest on record, and the 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1980. Global data shows that storms, droughts, and other weather-related disasters are growing more severe and more frequent.
To stop the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Electricity is a major source of climate change as it is generated by burning coal or oil, which releases carbon dioxide, pollutants and sulfur into the atmosphere.
These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain, and global climate change.
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The Environmental Impacts of IT
IT, too, affects the environment in several different ways. Each stage of computer’s life — from manufacture to use to
disposal — presents environmental problems. • Manufacture of computers and its various components consumes
electricity, requires raw materials, chemicals, and water, and generates hazardous waste.
• Computers, and cooling systems that cool the data centers consume electrical energy, and the total energy consumption is increasing. The increase in energy consumption results in increased greenhouse gas emissions.
• Computer components contain toxic materials, which usually just get thrown out in the end. Most of this ends up in landfills, polluting the earth and contaminating water.
The increased amount of computers and their use, along with frequent replacement, makes the environmental impact of IT a major concern.
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Going Green with IT: Your Responsibility Towards Environmental Sustainability
There is increasing pressure on the IT industry and the users - businesses, and individuals — to make IT environmentally friendly throughout its lifecycle — from birth to death to rebirth.
As many believe, it is our social and corporate responsibility to safeguard our planet/environment.
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Green IT
On our part, we — IT professionals and industry, businesses, and users — can, and must, individually and collectively create a sustainable environment.
Let’s examine IT’s the environmental impact and then look at green IT measures that we can adopt.
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Green IT: Focus Areas
Focus areas include:1. Design for environmental sustainability2. Energy-efficient computing 3. Power management 4. Data center design, layout, and location5. Server virtualization 6. Responsible disposal and recycling 7. Regulatory compliance 8. Green metrics, assessment tools and methodology 9. Environment-related risk mitigation 10. Use of alternative energy sources 11. Eco-labeling of IT products
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IT Vendors are Turning to Green IT
A growing number of IT vendors are moving toward green IT.• Supplying “Green Computers” - design,
manufacture, recycle• Tools to minimise and measure energy
consumption, environmental pollution Thereby they assist in building a green
society and a green economy
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GREEN IT
Green Use of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing of IT Systems
Green Design of IT Systems
Green Disposal of IT Systems
A Holistic Approach to Green IT
Source: San Murugesan, IT Professional, 2008
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GREEN IT
Green Use of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing of IT Systems
Green Design of IT Systems
Green Disposal of IT Systems
A Holistic Approach to Green IT
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GREEN IT
Green Use of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing of IT Systems
Green Design of IT Systems
Green Disposal of IT Systems
A Holistic Approach to Green IT
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Green your computer’s entire lifecycle
Use computers judiciously
Redeploy, reuse
Dispose
Refurbish, upgrade
Reuse parts
Use reprocessed material
Donate
Green manufactureof computers
Green Design
Recycle, reprocess materials
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Green Attitude: The First Step in Sustaining our Planet
Businesses and individuals must develop a positive attitude toward addressing environmental concerns and adopt forward-looking, green-friendly policies and practices.
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Green IT Strategy & Policy
Enterprise Green IT Strategy: Each enterprise must develop a holistic, comprehensive green IT strategy• Tactical incremental approach.• Strategic approach.• Deep green approach.
Green Supply Chain
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Using IT for Environmental Sustainability
Besides IT itself being green, it can support and leverage other environmental initiatives by offering innovative modeling, simulation, and decision support tools, such as:
1. Software tools for analyzing, modeling, and simulating environmental impact, and environmental risk management;
2. Platforms for eco-management, emission trading, or ethical investing;
3. Tools for auditing and reporting energy consumption and savings and for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions;
4. Environmental knowledge management systems,
5. Urban environment planning tools and systems;
6. Technologies and standards for interoperable environmental monitoring networks and smart in situ sensors networks
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Using IT to Create Green Awareness
IT could help create green awareness among IT professionals, businesses, and the general public by assisting in building communities, engaging groups in participatory decisions, and supporting education and green advocacy campaigns.
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The Way Forward: The Avenues
1. IT becoming Greener2. Green IT Strategy & Policy – and Adoption3. IT for Improving and leveraging
Environmental Sustainability4. Using IT for creating green awareness
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Discussion
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Resources
San Murugesan, “Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices”, IEEE IT Pro, Jan-Feb 2008.
