In a year where money was tight, organisations were increasingly embracing green technology that improved efficiencies and reduced cost. And with increased Government pressure on environmental issues, green IT was a hot topic in 2009.
1) Harvard academic refutes Google carbon footprint story – Early in the year, the UK Sunday Times wrote that a search query on Google released 7g of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, about half as much as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea. The figure was attributed to a forthcoming research paper authored by fellow at Harvard’s Center for the Environment, Wissner-Gross. He quickly claimed he was misquoted by the paper, effectively creating the first major green IT controversy of 2009.
2) TES-AMM expects recycling growth boom - Recycling firm, TES-AMM, said it was hoping to see a 500 per cent increase in recycling units as vendors become more environmentally aware.
3) Taiwan names green energy technology top priority – Also in March, Taiwan’s Government announced green energy technologies will be the top priority on its list of new industries to promote.
4) Sony shows off Green LCD – Those large plasma and LCD screens that consumers love are incredibly energy inefficient, so Sony’s Bravia WE5 LCD TV, which sported a five-star energy rating, was a positive development when it was announced in May.
5) Downturn driving green IT into datacentres – In July came news that the recession was driving green IT adoption in datacentres. Organisations that faced continued pressure on their budgets and datacentre resources were actively investigating software and outsourcing alternatives.
