120-398: Green computing , green IT (Information Technology), or ICT sustainability , is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT. The goals of green computing include optimising energy efficiency during the product's lifecycle; leveraging greener energy sources to power the product and its network; improving the reusability, maintainability, and repairability of
240-450: A Greenpeace study, data centers represent 21% of the electricity consumed by the IT sector, which is about 382 billion kWh a year. Data centers can potentially improve their energy and space efficiency through techniques such as storage consolidation and virtualization. Many organizations are aiming to eliminate underused servers, resulting in lower energy usage. The U.S. federal government set
360-578: A cold-cathode fluorescent bulb to provide light for the display. Most newer displays use an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in place of the fluorescent bulb, which further reduces the amount of electricity used by the display. Fluorescent back-lights also contain mercury, whereas LED back-lights do not. A light-on-dark color scheme , also called dark mode , is a color scheme that requires less energy to display on new display technologies, such as OLED . This positively impacts battery life and energy consumption. While an OLED will consume around 40% of
480-546: A sustainability transition or sustainability transformation . Some barriers arise from nature and its complexity while others are extrinsic to the concept of sustainability. For example, they can result from the dominant institutional frameworks in countries. Global issues of sustainability are difficult to tackle as they need global solutions. Existing global organizations such as the UN and WTO are seen as inefficient in enforcing current global regulations. One reason for this
600-1020: A Google Pixel, which has an OLED display. Apple's iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 both feature a light-on dark mode, which would allow third-party developers to implement their own dark themes. Google's Android 10 features a system-level dark mode. Recycling computing equipment can keep harmful materials such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium out of landfills , and can replace equipment that otherwise would need to be manufactured, saving further energy and emissions. Computer systems that have outlived their original function can be re-purposed, or donated to various charities and non-profit organizations. However, many charities have recently imposed minimum system requirements for donated equipment. Additionally, parts from outdated systems may be salvaged and recycled through certain retail outlets and municipal or private recycling centers. Computing supplies, such as printer cartridges , paper , and batteries may be recycled as well. Environmentally sustainable Sustainability
720-492: A central server; all of the actual computing is done on the server, but the end user experiences the system operating as if it were on the terminal. These can be combined with thin clients , which use up to 1/8 the amount of energy of a normal workstation, resulting in a decrease of energy costs and consumption. There has been an increase in using terminal services with thin clients to create virtual labs. Examples of terminal server software include Terminal Services for Windows and
840-451: A company's own IT operations, while at the same time helping customers to purchase products remotely, without requiring them to drive, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emission related to travel. The company might be able to take credit for these decarbonisation benefits under its Scope 3 emissions reporting, which includes emissions from across the entire value chain. In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy Star ,
960-403: A complicated mix of people, networks, and hardware; as such, a green computing initiative ideally covers these areas. A solution may also need to address end user satisfaction, management restructuring, regulatory compliance, and return on investment (ROI). There are also fiscal motivations for companies to take control of their own power consumption; "of the power management tools available, one of
1080-403: A conservation and replanting of timber that there can be a continuous, ongoing and sustainable use". The shift in use of "sustainability" from preservation of forests (for future wood production) to broader preservation of environmental resources (to sustain the world for future generations) traces to a 1972 book by Ernst Basler, based on a series of lectures at M.I.T. The idea itself goes back
1200-501: A cost estimated to be $ 9.5 million (~$ 13 million in 2023) through January 2010. On July 20, 2009, the Drudge Report published links to pages on Recovery.gov that Drudge alleged were detailing expensive contracts awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for items such as individual portions of mozzarella cheese, frozen ham and canned pork, costing hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars. A statement released by
1320-509: A given task from substantial to close to zero. In 2009, a study by a physicist at Harvard estimated that the average Google search released 7 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, Google disputed this figure, arguing that a typical search produced only 0.2 grams of CO₂. Algorithms can also be used to route data to data centers where electricity is less expensive. Researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, and Akamai have tested an energy allocation algorithm that routes traffic to
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#17327974274921440-634: A high degree of social sustainability would lead to livable communities with a good quality of life (being fair, diverse, connected and democratic). Indigenous communities might have a focus on particular aspects of sustainability, for example spiritual aspects, community-based governance and an emphasis on place and locality. Some experts have proposed further dimensions. These could cover institutional, cultural, political, and technical dimensions. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( ARRA ) ( Pub. L. 111–5 (text) (PDF) ), nicknamed
1560-417: A larger economic stimulus to counter the economic downturn. While in favor of a stimulus package, Feldstein expressed concern over the act as written, saying it needed revision to address consumer spending and unemployment more directly. Just after the bill was enacted, Krugman wrote that the stimulus was too small to deal with the problem, adding, "And it's widely believed that political considerations led to
1680-610: A minimum 10% reduction target for data center energy usage by 2011. With the aid of a self-styled ultra-efficient evaporative cooling technology. Google Inc. claims to have reduced its energy consumption to 50% of the industry average. Cryptocurrency mining, particularly for proof-of-work currencies like Bitcoin, also uses significant amounts of energy globally. Advocates have argued that cryptocurrency can help to drive investment in green energy. Microsoft Windows has included limited PC power management features since Windows 95 . These initially provided for stand-by (suspend-to-RAM) and
1800-528: A monitor low power state. Further iterations of Windows added hibernate (suspend-to-disk) and support for the ACPI standard. Windows 2000 was the first NT-based operating system to include power management. This required major changes to the underlying operating system architecture and a new hardware driver model. Windows 2000 also introduced Group Policy , a technology that allowed administrators to centrally configure most Windows features. However, power management
1920-405: A more efficient use of resources, thus reducing energy consumption by design. Also, the consolidation of virtualized technologies is more efficient than the one done in virtual machines , so more services can be deployed in the same physical machine, reducing the amount of hardware needed. Terminal servers have also been used in green computing. When using the system, users at a terminal connect to
2040-489: A new development path was required, one that sustained human progress not just in a few pieces for a few years, but for the entire planet into the distant future. Thus 'sustainable development' becomes a goal not just for the 'developing' nations, but for industrial ones as well. The Rio Declaration from 1992 is seen as "the foundational instrument in the move towards sustainability". It includes specific references to ecosystem integrity. The plan associated with carrying out
2160-727: A plan that was weaker and contains more tax cuts than it should have – that Mr. Obama compromised in advance in the hope of gaining broad bipartisan support." Conservative economist John Lott was more critical of the government spending. On January 28, 2009, a full-page advertisement with the names of approximately 200 economists who were against Obama's plan appeared in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal . This included Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureates Edward C. Prescott , Vernon L. Smith , and James M. Buchanan . The economists denied
2280-426: A single specific definition of sustainability may never be possible. But the concept is still useful. There have been attempts to define it, for example: Some definitions focus on the environmental dimension. The Oxford Dictionary of English defines sustainability as: "the property of being environmentally sustainable; the degree to which a process or enterprise is able to be maintained or continued while avoiding
2400-537: A system may hibernate , when most components (including the CPU and the system RAM) are turned off. ACPI is a successor to an earlier Intel-Microsoft standard called Advanced Power Management , which allows a computer's BIOS to control power management functions. Some programs allow the user to manually adjust the voltages supplied to the CPU, which reduces both the amount of heat produced and electricity consumed. This process
2520-402: A very long time: Communities have always worried about the capacity of their environment to sustain them in the long term. Many ancient cultures, traditional societies , and indigenous peoples have restricted the use of natural resources. The terms sustainability and sustainable development are closely related. In fact, they are often used to mean the same thing. Both terms are linked with
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#17327974274922640-552: A voluntary labeling program that is designed to promote and recognize the energy efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. This resulted in the widespread adoption of sleep mode among consumer electronics. Concurrently, the Swedish organization TCO Development launched the TCO Certified program to promote low magnetic and electrical emissions from CRT -based computer displays ; this program
2760-484: Is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): environmental, economic, and social. Many definitions emphasize the environmental dimension. This can include addressing key environmental problems , including climate change and biodiversity loss . The idea of sustainability can guide decisions at
2880-427: Is allocated to federal spending programs such as transportation, communication, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure improvements; energy efficiency upgrades in private and federal buildings; extension of federal unemployment benefits; and scientific research programs. The following are details to the different parts of the final bill and the selected citizen to receive this Government Grants have to come up with $ 350 for
3000-406: Is also a key factor. Green computing can involve complex trade-offs. It can be useful to distinguish between IT for environmental sustainability and the environmental sustainability of IT. Although green IT focuses on the environmental sustainability of IT, in practice these two aspects are often interconnected. For example, launching an online shopping platform may increase the carbon footprint of
3120-450: Is bad for the environment. Others focus more on the trade-offs between environmental conservation and achieving welfare goals for basic needs (food, water, health, and shelter). Economic development can indeed reduce hunger or energy poverty . This is especially the case in the least developed countries . That is why Sustainable Development Goal 8 calls for economic growth to drive social progress and well-being. Its first target
3240-437: Is called undervolting . Some CPUs can automatically undervolt the processor, depending on the workload; this technology is called " SpeedStep " on Intel processors, " PowerNow! "/" Cool'n'Quiet " on AMD chips, LongHaul on VIA CPUs, and LongRun with Transmeta processors. Data centers, which have been criticized for their extraordinarily high energy demand, are a primary focus for proponents of green computing. According to
3360-520: Is for: "at least 7 per cent GDP growth per annum in the least developed countries". However, the challenge is to expand economic activities while reducing their environmental impact. In other words, humanity will have to find ways how societal progress (potentially by economic development) can be reached without excess strain on the environment. The Brundtland report says poverty causes environmental problems. Poverty also results from them. So addressing environmental problems requires understanding
3480-412: Is known through scientific study to applications in pursuit of what people want for the future." The 1983 UN Commission on Environment and Development ( Brundtland Commission ) had a big influence on the use of the term sustainability today. The commission's 1987 Brundtland Report provided a definition of sustainable development . The report, Our Common Future , defines it as development that "meets
3600-411: Is not a new phenomenon. But it has been only a local or regional concern for most of human history. Awareness of global environmental issues increased in the 20th century. The harmful effects and global spread of pesticides like DDT came under scrutiny in the 1960s. In the 1970s it emerged that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were depleting the ozone layer . This led to the de facto ban of CFCs with
3720-418: Is the lack of suitable sanctioning mechanisms . Governments are not the only sources of action for sustainability. For example, business groups have tried to integrate ecological concerns with economic activity, seeking sustainable business . Religious leaders have stressed the need for caring for nature and environmental stability. Individuals can also live more sustainably . Some people have criticized
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3840-635: Is to prolong the equipment's lifetime. Another report from Gartner recommends to "Look for product longevity, including upgradability and modularity." For instance, manufacturing a new PC makes a far bigger ecological footprint than manufacturing a new RAM module to upgrade an existing one. Data center facilities are heavy consumers of energy, accounting for between 1.1% and 1.5% of the world's total energy use in 2010. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that data center facilities consume up to 100 to 200 times more energy than standard office buildings. Energy efficient data center design should address all of
3960-861: The Cato Institute . On February 8, 2009, a letter to Congress signed by about 200 economists in favor of the stimulus, written by the Center for American Progress Action Fund , said that Obama's plan "proposes important investments that can start to overcome the nation's damaging loss of jobs", and would "put the United States back onto a sustainable long-term-growth path". This letter was signed by Nobel Memorial laureates Kenneth Arrow , Lawrence R. Klein , Eric Maskin , Daniel McFadden , Paul Samuelson and Robert Solow . The New York Times published projections from IHS Global Insight, Moodys.com, Economy.com and Macroeconomic Advisers that indicated that
4080-653: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that while the stimulus would increase economic output and employment in the short run, the GDP would, by 2019, have an estimated net decrease between 0.1% and 0.3% (as compared to the CBO estimated baseline). The CBO estimated that enacting the bill would increase federal budget deficits by $ 185 billion over the remaining months of fiscal year 2009, by $ 399 billion in 2010, and by $ 134 billion in 2011, or $ 787 billion over
4200-514: The Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference passed a resolution that would potentially shut out U.S. bidders from Canadian city contracts, in order to help show support for Prime Minister Stephen Harper 's opposition to the "Buy American" provision. Sherbrooke Mayor Jean Perrault , president of the federation, stated, "This U.S. protectionist policy is hurting Canadian firms, costing Canadian jobs and damaging Canadian efforts to grow in
4320-586: The Freedom Act of 2009 , an amendment proposed by Senate Finance Committee members Maria Cantwell (D) and Orrin Hatch (R) to include tax incentives for plug-in electric vehicles . The Senate called a special Saturday debate session for February 7 at the urging of President Obama. The Senate voted, 61–36 (with 2 not voting) on February 9 to end debate on the bill and advance it to the Senate floor to vote on
4440-536: The Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) for the Linux operating system . Software-based remote desktop clients such as Windows Remote Desktop and RealVNC can provide similar thin-client functions when run on low power hardware that connects to a server. Data compression, which involves using fewer bits to encode information, may also be used in green computing depending on the structure of
4560-623: The Majority Leader , co-sponsored by 16 other Democrats and Joe Lieberman , an independent who caucused with the Democrats . The Senate then began consideration of the bill starting with the $ 275 billion tax provisions in the week of February 2, 2009. A significant difference between the House version and the Senate version was the inclusion of a one-year extension of revisions to the alternative minimum tax , which added $ 70 billion to
4680-730: The Montreal Protocol in 1987. In the early 20th century, Arrhenius discussed the effect of greenhouse gases on the climate (see also: history of climate change science ). Climate change due to human activity became an academic and political topic several decades later. This led to the establishment of the IPCC in 1988 and the UNFCCC in 1992. In 1972, the UN Conference on the Human Environment took place. It
4800-685: The Recovery Act , was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Great Recession , the primary objective of this federal statute was to save existing jobs and create new ones as soon as possible. Other objectives were to provide temporary relief programs for those most affected by the recession and invest in infrastructure, education, health, and renewable energy. The approximate cost of
4920-531: The natural resources and ecosystem services needed for economies and society. The concept of sustainable development has come to focus on economic development , social development and environmental protection for future generations. Scholars usually distinguish three different areas of sustainability. These are the environmental, the social, and the economic. Several terms are in use for this concept. Authors may speak of three pillars, dimensions, components, aspects, perspectives, factors, or goals. All mean
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5040-516: The "integrity of the earth's life-support systems" was essential for sustainability. The authors said that "the SDGs fail to recognize that planetary, people and prosperity concerns are all part of one earth system, and that the protection of planetary integrity should not be a means to an end, but an end in itself". The aspect of environmental protection is not an explicit priority for the SDGs. This causes problems as it could encourage countries to give
5160-441: The "three dimensions of sustainability" concept. One distinction is that sustainability is a general concept, while sustainable development can be a policy or organizing principle. Scholars say sustainability is a broader concept because sustainable development focuses mainly on human well-being. Sustainable development has two linked goals. It aims to meet human development goals. It also aims to enable natural systems to provide
5280-400: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their 169 targets as balancing "the three dimensions of sustainable development, the economic, social and environmental". Scholars have discussed how to rank the three dimensions of sustainability. Many publications state that the environmental dimension is the most important. ( Planetary integrity or ecological integrity are other terms for
5400-458: The 1960s and 1970s. This led to discussions on sustainability and sustainable development. This process began in the 1970s with concern for environmental issues. These included natural ecosystems or natural resources and the human environment. It later extended to all systems that support life on Earth, including human society. Reducing these negative impacts on the environment would improve environmental sustainability. Environmental pollution
5520-432: The 2009–2019 period. In a February 11 letter, CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf noted that there was disagreement among economists about the effectiveness of the stimulus, with some skeptical of any significant effects while others expecting very large effects. Elmendorf said the CBO expected short term increases in GDP and employment. In the long term, the CBO expects the legislation to reduce output slightly by increasing
5640-577: The Brundtland Report, the environment and development are inseparable and go together in the search for sustainability. It described sustainable development as a global concept linking environmental and social issues. It added sustainable development is important for both developing countries and industrialized countries : The 'environment' is where we all live; and 'development' is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The two are inseparable. [...] We came to see that
5760-652: The EU market. For example, key sectors such as precision agriculture, transport and energy can benefit from digital solutions in pursuing the sustainability objectives of the European Green Deal. E-government services can provide solutions to the environmental problem. The possibility for a citizen to fully request and get a service online would render, in addition to cost savings for the public authorities and increased citizen satisfaction, reductions of carbon emissions and paper consumption. Modern IT systems rely on
5880-504: The House bill, which had more closely followed the Obama plan. A comparison of the $ 827 billion economic recovery plan drafted by Senate Democrats with an $ 820 billion version passed by the House and the final $ 787 billion conference version shows huge shifts within these similar totals. Additional debt costs would add about $ 350 billion or more over 10 years. Many provisions were set to expire in two years. The main funding differences between
6000-495: The Recovery Act into law. Section 3 of ARRA listed the basic intent behind crafting the law. This Statement of Purpose included the following: The Act specifies that 37% of the package is to be devoted to tax incentives equaling $ 288 billion and $ 144 billion, or 18%, is allocated to state and local fiscal relief (more than 90% of the state aid is going to Medicaid and education). The remaining 45%, or $ 357 billion,
6120-499: The Rio Declaration also discusses sustainability in this way. The plan, Agenda 21 , talks about economic, social, and environmental dimensions: Countries could develop systems for monitoring and evaluation of progress towards achieving sustainable development by adopting indicators that measure changes across economic, social and environmental dimensions. Agenda 2030 from 2015 also viewed sustainability in this way. It sees
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#17327974274926240-439: The SDGs. It should also show how to address the trade-offs between ecological footprint and economic development. The social dimension of sustainability is not well defined. One definition states that a society is sustainable in social terms if people do not face structural obstacles in key areas. These key areas are health, influence, competence, impartiality and meaning-making . Some scholars place social issues at
6360-483: The Senate bill and the House bill were: More funds for health care in the Senate ($ 153.3 vs $ 140 billion), renewable energy programs ($ 74 vs. $ 39.4 billion), for home buyers tax credit ($ 35.5 vs. $ 2.6 billion), new payments to the elderly and a one-year increase in AMT limits. The House had more funds appropriated for education ($ 143 vs. $ 119.1 billion), infrastructure ($ 90.4 vs. $ 62 billion) and for aid to low income workers and
6480-480: The U.S. Department of Energy include on-site electrical generation and recycling of waste heat. Energy efficient data center design should help to better use a data center's space, and increase performance and efficiency. In 2018, three new US Patents make use of facilities design to simultaneously cool and produce electrical power by use of internal and external waste heat. The three patents use silo design for stimulating use of internal waste heat, while recirculating
6600-761: The UN launched eight Millennium Development Goals . The aim was for the global community to achieve them by 2015. Goal 7 was to "ensure environmental sustainability". But this goal did not mention the concepts of social or economic sustainability. Specific problems often dominate public discussion of the environmental dimension of sustainability: In the 21st century these problems have included climate change , biodiversity and pollution. Other global problems are loss of ecosystem services , land degradation , environmental impacts of animal agriculture and air and water pollution , including marine plastic pollution and ocean acidification . Many people worry about human impacts on
6720-557: The abstraction of computer resources, such as the process of running two or more logical computer systems on one set of physical hardware. The concept originated with the IBM mainframe operating systems of the 1960s, and was commercialized for x86 -compatible computers, and other computer systems, in the 1990s. With virtualization, a system administrator can combine several formerly physical systems as virtual machines on one powerful system, thereby conserving resources by removing need for some of
6840-662: The activation and they must clear the state tax according to the state percentage that will be refund it back along with the Grants.: Total: $ 237 billion Total: $ 51 billion ARRA included the enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act , also known as the HITECH Act. Total health care spending: $ 155.1 billion Total: $ 100 billion Total: $ 82.2 billion Total: $ 105.3 billion Total: $ 48.1 billion, some in
6960-661: The aim of encouraging users to save power. Third-party PC power management software for adds features beyond those built-in to the Windows operating system. Most products offer Active Directory integration and per-user/per-machine settings with the more advanced offering multiple power plans, scheduled power plans, anti-insomnia features and enterprise power usage reporting. Linux systems started to provide laptop-optimized power-management in 2005, with power-management options being mainstream since 2009. Desktop computer power supplies are in general 70–75% efficient, dissipating
7080-433: The air cooling the silo's computing racks. US Patent 9,510,486 , uses the recirculating air for power generation, while sister patent, US Patent 9,907,213 , forces the recirculation of the same air, and sister patent, US Patent 10,020,436 , uses thermal differences in temperature resulting in negative power usage effectiveness. Negative power usage effectiveness, makes use of differences between temperatures at times running
7200-485: The bill itself. On February 10, the Senate voted 61–37 (with one not voting) All the Democrats voted in favor, but only three Republicans voted in favor ( Susan Collins , Olympia Snowe , and Arlen Specter ). Specter switched to the Democratic Party later in the year. At one point, the Senate bill stood at $ 838 billion. Senate Republicans forced a near unprecedented level of changes (near $ 150 billion) in
7320-511: The bill's total. Republicans proposed several amendments to the bill directed at increasing the share of tax cuts and downsizing spending as well as decreasing the overall price. President Obama and Senate Democrats hinted that they would be willing to compromise on Republican suggestions to increase infrastructure spending and to double the housing tax credit proposed from $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 and expand its application to all home buyers, not just first-time buyers. Other considered amendments included
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#17327974274927440-606: The bill, H.R. 1 , was introduced on January 26, 2009 by Dave Obey , the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations , and was co-sponsored by nine other Democrats. On January 23, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that the bill was on track to be presented to President Obama for him to sign into law before February 16, 2009. Although 206 amendments were scheduled for floor votes, they were combined into only 11, which enabled quicker passage of
7560-429: The bill. On January 28, 2009, the House passed the bill by a 244–188 vote. All but 11 Democrats voted for the bill, but not a single Republican voted in favor: 177 Republicans voted against it, while one Republican did not vote. The Senate version of the bill, S. 1 , was introduced on January 6, 2009, and later substituted as an amendment to the House bill, S.Amdt. 570 . It was sponsored by Harry Reid ,
7680-414: The bills started before President Obama officially took office on January 20, 2009, top aides to President-Elect Obama held multiple meetings with committee leaders and staffers. On January 10, 2009, President-Elect Obama's administration released a report that provided a preliminary analysis of the impact to jobs of some of the prototypical recovery packages that were being considered. The House version of
7800-453: The computing facilities, that they would run only from external sources other than the power use for computing. The efficiency of algorithms affects the amount of computer resources required for any given computing function and there are many efficiency trade-offs in writing programs. Algorithm changes, such as switching from a slow (e.g. linear) search algorithm to a fast (e.g. hashed or indexed) search algorithm can reduce resource usage for
7920-481: The creation of green ICT solutions in general. The digital component is expected to also be used to reach the ambitions of the European Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals . As powerful enablers for the sustainability transition, digital solutions can advance the circular economy, support the decarbonisation of all sectors and reduce the environmental and social footprint of products placed on
8040-420: The data. Since it is highly data specific, data compression strategies may result in using more energy or resources than necessary in some cases. However, choosing a well-suited compression algorithm for the dataset can yield greater power efficiency and reduce network and storage requirements. There is a tradeoff between compression ratio and energy consumption. Deciding whether or not this is worthwhile depends on
8160-509: The dataset's compressibility. Compression improves energy efficiency for data with a compression ratio much less than roughly 0.3, and hurts for data with higher compression ratios. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), an open industry standard, allows an operating system to directly control the power-saving aspects of its underlying hardware. This allows a system to automatically turn off components such as monitors and hard drives after set periods of inactivity. In addition,
8280-498: The desired positive environmental impact, the tools themselves must be environmentally sustainable. The green transition may accelerate innovation and adoption of digital solutions offering the ICT sector new opportunities for becoming more competitive. The synergy created as a result of the green transition and digitalisation brings social, economic and environmental benefits, which is a goal of environmentally friendly digital governments and
8400-478: The economic dimension of sustainability are controversial. Scholars have discussed this under the concept of weak and strong sustainability . For example, there will always be tension between the ideas of "welfare and prosperity for all" and environmental conservation , so trade-offs are necessary. It would be desirable to find ways that separate economic growth from harming the environment . This means using fewer resources per unit of output even while growing
8520-472: The economic stimulus package was estimated to be $ 787 billion at the time of passage, later revised to $ 831 billion between 2009 and 2019. The ARRA's rationale was based on the Keynesian economic theory that, during recessions, the government should offset the decrease in private spending with an increase in public spending in order to save jobs and stop further economic deterioration. The politics around
8640-453: The economy but there is no fixed definition of sustainability indicators . The metrics are evolving and include indicators , benchmarks and audits. They include sustainability standards and certification systems like Fairtrade and Organic . They also involve indices and accounting systems such as corporate sustainability reporting and Triple Bottom Line accounting . It is necessary to address many barriers to sustainability to achieve
8760-597: The economy may have been worse without the ARRA. A 2019 study in the American Economic Journal found that the stimulus had a positive impact on the US economy, but that the positive impact would have been greater if the stimulus had been more frontloaded. The CBO estimated ARRA would positively impact GDP and employment. It projected an increase in the GDP of between 1.4 percent and 3.8 percent by
8880-399: The economy. This decoupling reduces the environmental impact of economic growth, such as pollution . Doing this is difficult. Some experts say there is no evidence that such a decoupling is happening at the required scale. It is challenging to measure sustainability as the concept is complex, contextual, and dynamic. Indicators have been developed to cover the environment, society, or
9000-447: The end of 2009, between 1.1 percent and 3.3 percent by the end of 2010, between 0.4 percent and 1.3 percent by the end of 2011, and a decrease of between zero and 0.2 percent beyond 2014. The impact to employment would be an increase of 0.8 million to 2.3 million by the end of 2009, an increase of 1.2 million to 3.6 million by the end of 2010, an increase of 0.6 million to 1.9 million by
9120-454: The end of 2011, and declining increases in subsequent years as the U.S. labor market reaches nearly full employment, but never negative. Decreases in GDP in 2014 and beyond are accounted for by crowding out , where government debt absorbs finances that would otherwise go toward investment. A 2013 study by economists Stephen Marglin and Peter Spiegler found the stimulus had boosted GDP in line with CBO estimates. A February 4, 2009, report by
9240-455: The energy use aspects included in a data center: from the IT equipment to the HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment to the actual location, configuration and construction of the building. The U.S. Department of Energy specifies five primary areas on which to focus energy efficient data center design best practices: Additional energy efficient design opportunities specified by
9360-590: The environment . These include impacts on the atmosphere, land, and water resources . Human activities now have an impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems . This led Paul Crutzen to call the current geological epoch the Anthropocene . The economic dimension of sustainability is controversial. This is because the term development within sustainable development can be interpreted in different ways. Some may take it to mean only economic development and growth . This can promote an economic system that
9480-540: The environment includes society, and society includes economic conditions. Thus it stresses a hierarchy. Another model shows the three dimensions in a similar way: In this SDG wedding cake model , the economy is a smaller subset of the societal system. And the societal system in turn is a smaller subset of the biosphere system. In 2022 an assessment examined the political impacts of the Sustainable Development Goals. The assessment found that
9600-495: The environment less weight in their developmental plans. The authors state that "sustainability on a planetary scale is only achievable under an overarching Planetary Integrity Goal that recognizes the biophysical limits of the planet". Other frameworks bypass the compartmentalization of sustainability into separate dimensions completely. The environmental dimension is central to the overall concept of sustainability. People became more and more aware of environmental pollution in
9720-426: The environmental dimension.) Protecting ecological integrity is the core of sustainability according to many experts. If this is the case then its environmental dimension sets limits to economic and social development. The diagram with three nested ellipses is one way of showing the three dimensions of sustainability together with a hierarchy: It gives the environmental dimension a special status. In this diagram,
9840-576: The environmental effect of their IT operations. Yet it is also clear that the environmental footprint of the sector is significant, estimated at 5-9% of the world's total electricity use and more than 2% of all emissions. Data centers and telecommunications networks will need to become more energy efficient , reuse waste energy, use more renewable energy sources, and use less water for cooling to stay competitive. Some believe they can and should become climate neutral by 2030 The carbon emissions associated with manufacturing devices and network infrastructures
9960-665: The equipment at disposal. In 2010, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into legislation by President Obama. The bill allocated over $ 90 billion to be invested in green initiatives (renewable energy, smart grids, energy efficiency, etc.) In January 2010, the U.S. Energy Department granted $ 47 million of the ARRA money towards projects to improve the energy efficiency of data centers. The projects provided research to optimize data center hardware and software, improve power supply chain, and data center cooling technologies . Green digital governance refers to
10080-539: The factors behind world poverty and inequality. The report demands a new development path for sustained human progress. It highlights that this is a goal for both developing and industrialized nations. UNEP and UNDP launched the Poverty-Environment Initiative in 2005 which has three goals. These are reducing extreme poverty, greenhouse gas emissions, and net natural asset loss. This guide to structural reform will enable countries to achieve
10200-427: The form of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants Total: $ 18 billion Total: $ 7.2 billion Total: $ 10.5 billion Total: $ 21.5 billion Total: $ 27.2 billion Total: $ 14.7 billion Total: $ 7.6 billion Total: $ 10.6 billion ARRA included a protectionist 'Buy American' provision, which imposed a general requirement that any public building or public works project funded by
10320-412: The global, national, organizational, and individual levels. A related concept is that of sustainable development , and the terms are often used to mean the same thing. UNESCO distinguishes the two like this: " Sustainability is often thought of as a long-term goal (i.e. a more sustainable world), while sustainable development refers to the many processes and pathways to achieve it." Details around
10440-449: The government site, the privately run Recovery.org is actually providing detailed information about how the $ 787 billion in stimulus money is being spent." Reports regarding errors in reporting on the Web site made national news. News stories circulated about Recovery.gov reporting fund distribution to congressional districts that did not exist. A new Recovery.gov website was redesigned at
10560-431: The greening ICTs themselves, rather than on their actual implementation to reduce global warming and environmental degradation . In general, only 20% of initiatives had measurable targets, with government programs tending to include targets more frequently than business associations. Many governmental agencies have continued to implement standards and regulations that encourage green computing. The Energy Star program
10680-489: The heat they produce may be used for other purposes could be factors in green siting decisions. Approaches to actually reduce the energy consumption of network devices by proper network/device management techniques have been surveyed Bianzino, et al. The authors grouped the approaches into 4 main strategies, namely (i) Adaptive Link Rate (ALR), (ii) Interface Proxying, (iii) Energy Aware Infrastructure, and (iv) Maximum Energy Aware Applications. Computer virtualization refers to
10800-492: The idea of sustainability. One point of criticism is that the concept is vague and only a buzzword . Another is that sustainability might be an impossible goal. Some experts have pointed out that "no country is delivering what its citizens need without transgressing the biophysical planetary boundaries". Sustainability is regarded as a " normative concept ". This means it is based on what people value or find desirable: "The quest for sustainability involves connecting what
10920-561: The intersection of economics, the environment, and the social. There are many broad strategies for more sustainable social systems. They include improved education and the political empowerment of women . This is especially the case in developing countries. They include greater regard for social justice . This involves equity between rich and poor both within and between countries. And it includes intergenerational equity . Providing more social safety nets to vulnerable populations would contribute to social sustainability. A society with
11040-863: The location with the lowest energy costs. The researchers project up to 40 percent savings on energy costs if their proposed algorithm were to be deployed. However, this approach does not actually reduce the amount of energy being used; it reduces only the cost to the company using it. Nonetheless, a similar strategy could be used to direct traffic to rely on energy that is produced in a more environmentally friendly or efficient way. A similar approach has also been used to cut energy usage by routing traffic away from data centers experiencing warm weather; this allows computers to be shut down to avoid using air conditioning. Larger server centers are sometimes located where energy and land are inexpensive and readily available. Local availability of renewable energy, climate that allows outside air to be used for cooling, or locating them where
11160-481: The long term. The concept of sustainability, or Nachhaltigkeit in German, goes back to Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645–1714), and applied to forestry . The term for this now would be sustainable forest management . He used this term to mean the long-term responsible use of a natural resource. In his 1713 work Silvicultura oeconomica, he wrote that "the highest art/science/industriousness [...] will consist in such
11280-478: The long-term depletion of natural resources". The term sustainability is derived from the Latin word sustinere . "To sustain" can mean to maintain, support, uphold, or endure. So sustainability is the ability to continue over a long period of time. In the past, sustainability referred to environmental sustainability. It meant using natural resources so that people in the future could continue to rely on them in
11400-483: The most powerful may still be simple, plain, common sense." Gartner maintains that the PC manufacturing process accounts for 70% of the natural resources used in the life cycle of a PC. In 2011, Fujitsu released a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a desktop that show that manufacturing and end of life accounts for the majority of this desktop's ecological footprint. Therefore, the biggest contribution to green computing usually
11520-419: The nation's debt and crowding out private investment, but noted that other factors, such as improvements to roads and highways and increased spending for basic research and education may offset the decrease in output and that crowding out was not an issue in the short term because private investment was already decreasing in response to decreased demand. In February 2015, the CBO released its final analysis of
11640-442: The needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The report helped bring sustainability into the mainstream of policy discussions. It also popularized the concept of sustainable development . Some other key concepts to illustrate the meaning of sustainability include: In everyday usage, sustainability often focuses on the environmental dimension. Scholars say that
11760-516: The new stimulus package must use only iron, steel and other manufactured goods produced in the United States. A May 15, 2009, Washington Post article reported that the 'Buy American' provision of the stimulus package caused outrage in the Canadian business community, and that the government in Canada "retaliated" by enacting its own restrictions on trade with the U.S. On June 6, 2009, delegates at
11880-650: The original hardware and reducing power and cooling consumption. Virtualization can assist in distributing work so that servers are either busy or put in a low-power sleep state. Several commercial companies and open-source projects now offer software packages to enable a transition to virtual computing. Intel Corporation and AMD have also built proprietary virtualization enhancements to the x86 instruction set into each of their CPU product lines, in order to facilitate virtual computing. New virtual technologies, such as operating-system-level virtualization can also be used to reduce energy consumption. These technologies make
12000-482: The power consumed by large storage arrays, while still providing the benefits of online storage, is a subject of ongoing research. A fast GPU may be the largest power consumer in a computer. Energy-efficient display options include: Unlike other display technologies, electronic paper does not use any power while displaying an image. CRT monitors typically use more power than LCD monitors. They also contain significant amounts of lead. LCD monitors typically use
12120-428: The power management system to allow basic configuration by Group Policy. The support offered is limited to a single per-computer policy. Windows 7 retains these limitations but includes refinements for timer coalescing , processor power management, and display panel brightness. The most significant change in Windows 7 is in the user experience. The prominence of the default High Performance power plan has been reduced with
12240-552: The power of an LCD displaying an image that is primarily black, it can use more than three times as much power to display an image with a white background, such as a document or web site. This can lead to reduced battery life and increased energy use, unless a light-on-dark color scheme is used. A 2018 article in Popular Science suggests that "Dark mode is easier on the eyes and battery" and displaying white on full brightness uses roughly six times as much power as pure black on
12360-423: The product to extend its lifecycle; improving the recyclability or biodegradability of e-waste to support circular economy ambitions; and aligning the manufacture and use of IT systems with environmental and social goals. Green computing is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld systems to large-scale data centers. Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce
12480-498: The quoted statement by President Obama that there was "no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jumpstart the economy". Instead, the signers believed that "to improve the economy, policymakers should focus on reforms that remove impediments to work, saving, investment and production. Lower tax rates and a reduction in the burden of government are the best ways of using fiscal policy to boost growth." The funding for this advertisement came from
12600-944: The remaining energy as heat. A certification program called 80 Plus certifies PSUs that are at least 80% efficient; typically these models are drop-in replacements for older, less efficient PSUs of the same form factor. As of July 20, 2007, all new Energy Star 4.0-certified desktop PSUs must be at least 80% efficient. Smaller form factor (e.g., 2.5 inch) hard disk drives often consume less power per gigabyte than physically larger drives. Unlike hard disk drives, solid-state drives store data in flash memory or DRAM . With no moving parts, power consumption may be reduced somewhat for low-capacity flash-based devices. As hard drive prices have fallen, storage farms have tended to increase in capacity to make more data available online. This includes archival and backup data that would formerly have been saved on tape or other offline storage. The increase in online storage has increased power consumption. Reducing
12720-606: The results of the law, which found that during six years: A May 21, 2009, article in The Washington Post stated, "To build support for the stimulus package, President Obama vowed unprecedented transparency, a big part of which, he said, would be allowing taxpayers to track money to the street level on Recovery.gov..." But three months after the bill was signed, Recovery.gov offers little beyond news releases, general breakdowns of spending, and acronym-laden spreadsheets and timelines." The same article also stated, "Unlike
12840-411: The same thing in this context. The three dimensions paradigm has few theoretical foundations. The popular three intersecting circles, or Venn diagram , representing sustainability first appeared in a 1987 article by the economist Edward Barbier . Scholars rarely question the distinction itself. The idea of sustainability with three dimensions is a dominant interpretation in the literature. In
12960-510: The stimulus were very contentious, with Republicans criticizing the size of the stimulus. On the right, it spurred the Tea Party movement and may have contributed to Republicans winning the House in the 2010 midterm elections . Not a single Republican member of the House voted for the stimulus, and only three Republican senators voted for it. Most economists have argued that the stimulus
13080-544: The technology sector. The goal of green digital governance is to reduce the carbon footprint of the digital economy and to support the transition to a more sustainable and resilient society. Both the green and the digital transitions are on the agenda for most European countries, as well as the EU as a whole. Documents and goals such as the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals , fit for 55 , Digital Europe and others have begun
13200-408: The transitions. These two transitions often contradict each other, as digital technologies have substantial environmental footprints that go against the targets of the green transition. The European Union sees digitalisation and the adoption of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) solutions as an important tool for creating greener solutions, while also acknowledging that in order to achieve
13320-520: The unemployed ($ 71.5 vs. $ 66.5 billion). Congressional negotiators said that they had completed the Conference Report on February 11. On February 12, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer scheduled the vote on the bill for the next day, before wording on the bill's content had been completed and despite House Democrats having previously promised to allow a 48-hour public review period before any vote. The Report with final handwritten provisions
13440-448: The use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support environmentally sustainable policies and practices. It describes a strategy with which an organisation strives to align its information and communications technology with sustainability goals. This can include using digital tools and platforms to monitor and regulate environmental impact, as well as promoting the development and use of clean and renewable energy sources in
13560-425: The very center of discussions. They suggest that all the domains of sustainability are social. These include ecological , economic, political, and cultural sustainability. These domains all depend on the relationship between the social and the natural. The ecological domain is defined as human embeddedness in the environment. From this perspective, social sustainability encompasses all human activities. It goes beyond
13680-520: The world-wide recession." On February 16, 2010, the United States and Canada agreed on exempting Canadian companies from Buy American provisions, which would have hurt the Canadian economy . Economists such as Martin Feldstein , Daron Acemoğlu , National Economic Council director Larry Summers , and Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winners Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman favored
13800-492: Was later expanded to include criteria on energy consumption, ergonomics , and the use of hazardous materials in construction. In 2009 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a survey of over 90 government and industry initiatives on "Green ICTs" (Information and Communication Technologies), the environment and climate change. The report concluded that initiatives tended to concentrate on
13920-655: Was not one of those features. This is probably because the power management settings design relied upon a connected set of per-user and per-machine binary registry values, effectively leaving it up to each user to configure their own power management settings. This approach, which is not compatible with Windows Group Policy, was repeated in Windows XP . The reasons for this design decision by Microsoft are not known, and it has resulted in heavy criticism. Microsoft significantly improved this in Windows Vista by redesigning
14040-510: Was posted on a House website that evening. On February 13, the Report passed the House, 246–183, largely along party lines with all 246 Yes votes given by Democrats and the Nay vote split between 176 Republicans and 7 Democrats. The Senate passed the bill, 60–38, with all Democrats and Independents voting for the bill along with three Republicans. On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed
14160-454: Was revised in October 2006 to include stricter efficiency requirements for computer equipment, along with a tiered ranking system for approved products. By 2008, 26 US states established statewide recycling programs for obsolete computers and consumer electronics equipment. The statutes either impose an "advance recovery fee" for each unit sold at retail or require the manufacturers to reclaim
14280-447: Was smaller than needed. Surveys of economists show overwhelming agreement that the stimulus reduced unemployment, and that the benefits of the stimulus outweigh the cost. According to the CBO's final report in February 2015, the ARRA spent $ 121,313 to create or save each job. Both the House and the Senate versions of the bills were primarily written by Democratic congressional committee leaders and their staffs. Because work on
14400-446: Was the first UN conference on environmental issues. It stated it was important to protect and improve the human environment. It emphasized the need to protect wildlife and natural habitats: The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and [...] natural ecosystems must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate. In 2000,
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