http://cow.neondragon.net/index.php/carbon-cost-of-google-search-same-as-boiling-a-kettle Helping you to get the most out of modern technology and communications since 2004. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:48:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://cow.neondragon.net/index.php/carbon-cost-of-google-search-same-as-boiling-a-kettle/comment-page-1#comment-4436 Joost Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:43:53 +0000 http://cow.neondragon.net/?p=3734#comment-4436 If you want to calculate the REAL co2 costs of a google search (or any searchengine ) you should take the alternatives into account. If I would like to search information on the internet without using a search engine, I would have to search by trial and error. I estimate an average search would then take about half an hour. According to this article (http://www.firetop.co.uk/2006/11/15/cut-co2-emissions-stop-breathing/) I would produce 18.75 grams of co2 in that timespan. I won't even mention the co2 production of using my computer and all the other components (cable, provider etc.). So actually Google is saving 11.75 grams of co2 per search ;-) So if we really want to do something about co2 emission, stop breathing! (And if we do, we don't have to use google anymore ;-) ) If you want to calculate the REAL co2 costs of a google search (or any searchengine ) you should take the alternatives into account. If I would like to search information on the internet without using a search engine, I would have to search by trial and error. I estimate an average search would then take about half an hour. According to this article (http://www.firetop.co.uk/2006/11/15/cut-co2-emissions-stop-breathing/) I would produce 18.75 grams of co2 in that timespan. I won’t even mention the co2 production of using my computer and all the other components (cable, provider etc.). So actually Google is saving 11.75 grams of co2 per search
So if we really want to do something about co2 emission, stop breathing! (And if we do, we don’t have to use google anymore )

]]> http://cow.neondragon.net/index.php/carbon-cost-of-google-search-same-as-boiling-a-kettle/comment-page-1#comment-4408 James Baker Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:05:11 +0000 http://cow.neondragon.net/?p=3734#comment-4408 The numbers given by that article have been refuted by Google (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/powering-google-search.html), and it appears that even the scientist who allegedly came up with those figures refutes them (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10141432-54.html). The numbers given by that article have been refuted by Google (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/powering-google-search.html), and it appears that even the scientist who allegedly came up with those figures refutes them (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10141432-54.html).

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