Going Green: River Blog is carbon nuetral

Posted on June 1, 2007 | Filed Under Technology 

ChasChas Offutt, Director of Internet Strategy
Technology & Rivers

windmill We live in an electronic world. Profound, I know. But sometimes it feels like I simply drop one device to pick up another. For example, I leave my work computer for my home computer, hang up my cell phone to pick up the home phone, and turn off the incandescent light for compact fluorescent light (okay, I don’t use incandescent lights, but you get the idea).

Fortunately, I ride my bike a good bit, kayak every so often and actually interact with people to help balance out the perpetual hum of an electronic world.

However, I know I can do more to walk the green talk, but in the technology world I’m a pretty big consumer of electronics. And I really can’t get (and don’t want to) around it. And though I buy consciously, shop wisely (ha!) and make every effort to act on behalf of the environment, I know I can do more. Who can’t, right?

Anyhow, last year I read an article in Wired, Server Farms Live Off Open Source, and the opening line struck a cord with me -

To the many oft-sung virtues of open-source software you can add this: It saves electricity.

Funny, saves electricity? I’ve never heard that, but I wanted to believe it. I never did get an explanation from the author, but this would be an interesting intersection of my work - technology, environment and rivers (Google has a server farm near the Columbia River).

Though the jury may still be out on open source and energy efficiency, at least there are certain things (thanks Jeremiah!) that can be done to reduce your website’s grid dependence.

Puffinworks, our partner for the development of our river blog, wiki glossary and National River Cleanup Week site, recently announced that all client websites will be carbon neutral. Pretty cool, read on -

The creation and maintenance of your website runs on electricity which, as we all know, has environmental consequences. As conservationists, we’re all concerned about pollution, energy security, and climate change. So Puffinworks has taken steps to ensure that our business - and thereby your website - is as environmentally friendly as possible.

Well, though I may never escape an electronic world, at least there are some things that can be done at home and at work to reduce one’s energy dependence.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Going Green: River Blog is carbon nuetral”

  1. Jeremiah Owyang on June 1st, 2007 8:37 am

    you’re welcome, as you find other resources to make a website green please swing by and leave a comment.

  2. Chas on June 1st, 2007 9:45 am

    Will do.

    Also, enjoyed the Ustream: Webvisions 2007: Slides and Video Social Media Strategies for Corporations
    http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/05/05/webvisions-slides/

    Relevant to nonprofits too. Good stuff.

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