Green computing : tools and techniques for saving energy, money, and resources

Explaining how going green can pay for itself, Green Computing: Tools and Techniques for Saving Energy, Money, and Resources ties the green agenda in IT to the broader corporate agenda in risk management, brand management, and reputation management. Written by a leading author in the IT field, this authoritative reference provides easy access to quotable budget justifications that readers can use to place IT stakeholders on the same page for this new agenda that can save valuable resources and the planet.

Bringing together everything IT professionals need to know about green computing, the book embodies a new philosophy on how to deploy IT devices, software, and services in a way that makes people more effective with fewer resources. It presents helpful tips on how to maximize energy savings as well as how to present information gradually to allow peers and stakeholders to absorb it.

The book's comprehensive coverage includes various types of hardware and software, including the changes currently happening, underlying trends, products currently on the market, and what to expect--or, in some cases, what organizations should ask for--from suppliers in the future.

On the hardware side, the book considers tablet computers--examining the iPad® and Android®-based tablets. On the software side, it examines the general trend toward cloud computing. It provides important examples of this rapidly emerging trend as well as guidance on how to use the cloud to make software available and to store large amounts of data.

Demonstrating the savings and increased business resiliency that can result from green computing, this book offers C-suite executives, senior IT management, project managers, suppliers, and market analysts with the tools required to understand why you need to act, how to act, what to buy, when to do it, and who should act.

Author Notes

Floyd (Bud) E. Smith is one of the most accomplished authors of computing books around--and a green writer and activist as well. Bud has written about technical topics, such as microprocessor programming and video cards; online subjects, including Internet marketing and Web usability; and social media, from Google Plus to Facebook for business. His writing career parallels his work for some of the biggest names in technology. Bud has worked for search engine pioneer AltaVista, Web browser pioneer Netscape, and computing and electronics pioneer Apple, among other technology leaders.

Recently, Bud has focused on environmental concerns. He has become active in the international Transition Towns movement and is a member of the Initiating Committee for Transition San Francisco.

Bud wrote his first book about climate change, Runaway (published by Business and Technical Communication Services [BATCS], in 2008) and has written a book on green roofs. Green Computing gives Bud the opportunity to bring together his two strongest interests: technology and the environment.

Bud's next book will describe the impact of climate change on the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dedication	p. v
Contents	p. vii
Preface	p. xiii
About the Author	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Chapter 1 Green Computing and Your Reputation	p. 1
Key Concepts	p. 1
1.1 Reputation as Motivation	p. 1
1.2 Avoiding Greenwash	p. 5
1.3 Social License to Operate	p. 7
1.4 Green Computing and Your Career	p. 9
1.5 Green Computing and Your Department	p. 10
1.6 Green Recruiting and Retention	p. 12
1.7 Getting the Word Out Inside the Company	p. 15
1.8 Getting the Word Out Outside the Company	p. 18
1.9 Summary	p. 20
Chapter 2 Green Computing and Saving Money	p. 21
Key Concepts	p. 21
2.1 Why Saving Money Is Green	p. 21
2.2 Getting Focused on Money-Saving Efforts	p. 23
2.3 Implementing Energy Efficiency	p. 25
2.4 Changing How Current Devices Are Used	p. 26
2.5 Moving to Cloud Services	p. 28
2.6 Digitizing Non-IT Functions	p. 29
2.7 Greening Your Energy-Saving Moves	p. 32
2.8 Some Big Thinking About Money-Saving Efforts	p. 33
2.9 Summary	p. 34
Chapter 3 Green Computing and the Environment	p. 35
Key Concepts	p. 35
3.1 Environmental Drivers for Green Computing	p. 35
3.2 What Drives the Green Agenda?	p. 36
3.3 Key Roots of Environmentalism	p. 37
3.4 Environmentalism and IT	p. 40
3.5 The New Imperative of Climate Change	p. 41
3.6 A Brief History of the Climate	p. 42
3.7 Al Gore and Climate Change	p. 45
3.8 The 2°C Warming "Limit"	p. 47
3.9 Climate Change and IT	p. 48
3.10 What's Next with Climate Change?	p. 49
3.11 What It Means to "Go Green"	p. 52
3.12 Why IT Is a Climate Change Solution	p. 54
3.13 Career Development and "Going Green"	p. 56
3.14 Summary	p. 57
Chapter 4 A New Vision of Computing	p. 59
Key Concepts	p. 59
4.1 Cloud Computing Emerges	p. 59
4.2 The End of the PC Era	p. 60
4.3 Some New-Model IT Challenges	p. 63
4.4 A Few Examples from a Multinational	p. 64
4.5 How a Company Adopted the iPhone	p. 65
4.6 A Mental Model for IT Simplicity	p. 66
4.7 Why Green Computing Fits the New Model	p. 67
4.8 Is Cloud Computing the Whole Answer?	p. 70
4.9 Disadvantages of Cloud Computing	p. 71
4.10 Managing Disadvantages of Cloud Computing	p. 72
4.11 What to Do Besides Cloud Computing	p. 74
4.12 Efficiency and Cloud Computing	p. 75
4.13 Greenability and Cloud Computing	p. 76
4.14 Responsibility, Usability, and Cloud Computings	p. 80
4.15 The Philosophical Implications of Green Computing	p. 81
4.16 The Zen of Green Computing	p. 83
4.17 Summary	p. 88
Chapter 5 Building a Green Device Portfolio	p. 89
Key Concepts	p. 89
5.1 Introduction	p. 89
5.2 Why Green Works for Device Purchases	p. 90
5.3 Pushing Computing Down the Device Pyramid	p. 92
5.4 Another Dimension of Device Pyramid Greenness	p. 93
5.5 Green Computing and Embodied Energy	p. 94
5.6 Green Computing and Running Costs	p. 96
5.7 Planned Obsolescence Isn't Green	p. 99
5.8 Green Computing and Device Disposal	p. 101
5.9 The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics	p. 103
5.10 Support Employees' Device Choices	p. 107
5.11 Publicizing Your Process	p. 108
5.12 Summary	p. 109
Chapter 6 Finding Green Devices	p. 111
Key Concepts	p. 111
6.1 What Makes a Device Green?	p. 111
6.2 What Makes a Supplier Green?	p. 113
6.3 Case Study: HP vs. Dell	p. 117
6.4 Giving Suppliers and Vendors Feedback	p. 119
6.5 Publicizing Your Selection Process and the Winner	p. 120
6.6 A Sample Statement of Green Buying Principles	p. 122
6.7 Desktop Computers	p. 123
6.8 Laptops	p. 125
6.9 Sustainability and Failure to Supply	p. 128
6.10 The Case of Windows 8	p. 129
6.11 Tablets	p. 131
6.12 "Less Computer" and "Computer-less" Solutions	p. 132
6.13 Summary	p. 132
Chapter 7 Green Servers and Data Centers	p. 133
Key Concepts	p. 133
7.1 Choosing and Creating Green Data Centers	p. 133
7.2 Green Data Centers as a Model	p. 136
7.3 The Last Shall Be First...	p. 136
7.4 What Makes a Data Center Green?	p. 137
7.5 Building and Power Supply Considerations	p. 138
7.6 Servers, Storage, and Networking	p. 139
7.7 Data Center Suppliers	p. 141
7.8 Summary	p. 142
Chapter 8 Saving Energy	p. 143
Key Concepts	p. 143
8.1 Saving Energy Serves Many Masters	p. 143
8.2 Cost Savings through Energy Savings	p. 144
8.3 Risk Reduction through Energy Savings	p. 145
8.4 Carbon Footprint Reduction through Energy Savings	p. 147
8.5 Improving Your Reputation and Brand	p. 149
8.6 Why Energy Prices Will Stay High	p. 151
8.7 Embodied Energy	p. 153
8.8 Analyzing Your Energy Usage	p. 154
8.9 A Recipe for Energy Savings	p. 155
8.10 Understanding the Unique Energy Needs of IT	p. 158
8.11 Focusing on Solar Power	p. 159
8.12 Saving-Energy and the Supply Chain	p. 161
8.13 Energy-Saving Pilot Projects	p. 162
8.14 Selling Energy Savings	p. 163
8.15 Summary	p. 165
Chapter 9 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions	p. 167
Key Concepts	p. 167
9.1 Why Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Important	p. 167
9.2 Sources and Sinks of Greenhouse Gases and Warming	p. 170
9.3 Is There Still Doubt About Climate Change?	p. 172
9.4 Why Are There Still Doubters and Deniers?	p. 174
9.5 What If I Work for Doubters and Deniers?	p. 176
9.6 So What's Next with Climate Change?	p. 177
9.7 Reducing Emissions I: Embodied Energy	p. 179
9.8 Reducing Emissions II: Daily Energy Use	p. 180
9.9 Reducing Emissions III: Taking Steps to Use Different Sources	p. 181
9.10 Reducing Emissions IV: Supply Chain Success	p. 182
9.11 Summary	p. 183
Chapter 10 Reducing Resource Use	p. 185
Key Concepts	p. 185
10.1 Why Resource Use Is Important	p. 185
10.2 A Resource Use Checklist	p. 188
10.3 Planned Obsolescence and Resource Use	p. 191
10.4 The Story of Apple and EPEAT	p. 192
10.5 Case Study: Computer Hardware and RSI	p. 193
10.6 Summary	p. 195
Chapter 11 Green Computing by Industry Segment	p. 197
Key Concepts	p. 197
11.1 Evaluating Greenness	p. 197
11.2 The Newsweek Green 500 Approach	p. 199
11.2.1 Why the Newsweek Green 500 Approach Works	p. 203
11.2.2 Looking at Industry Segments	p. 204
11.3 Analyzing Your Own Initiatives, Company, and Sector	p. 210
11.4 Summary	p. 212
Chapter 12 The Future: Deep Green Computing	p. 213
Key Concepts	p. 213
12.1 Green Computing and the Future	p. 213
12.2 Megatrends for Green Computing	p. 215
12.2.1 An Increasing Need for Sustainability	p. 215
12.2.2 The Continually Decreasing Cost of Core Computing Capabilities	p. 217
12.2.3 The Ability of Computing to Do More and More	p. 220
12.3 Telepresence Instead of Travel	p. 221
12.4 Telecommuting Instead of Commuting	p. 223
12.5 Toward Deep Green Computing	p. 226
12.6 Platforms for Deep Green Computing	p. 227
12.7 Selling Deep Green Computing	p. 230
12.8 Summary	p. 232
References	p. 233
Index	p. 235

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