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Green Peace rewards Apple and other big of Internet for improved use of Renewable Energy
Greenpeace on its annual report on the energy efficiency of Internet companies, acclaiming Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and other major providers of online services for their efforts towards energy resources.
Greenpeace on its annual report on the energy efficiency of Internet companies, acclaiming Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and other major providers of online services for their efforts towards energy resources.
Greenpeace, two years ago, began a e campaign called “How Clean is Your Cloud”?,” looked at how technology providers are managing their energy . The servers handling the data not only consume electricity but require air conditioning to keep them from overheating.
Apple in particular, which two years ago received a low score by Greenpeace, made a big step forward in terms of transparency, internal conservation efforts and use of renewable energy. For these reason the environmental group awarded Apple three “A”s and one “B,” together with Facebook for the highest marks. Two years ago, the iPhone maker received three “D”s and one “F” for its main green energy categories.
Other online services providers Box Inc., Google Inc., Rackspace Hosting Inc. and Salesforce.com Inc. were also praised for their data centers entirely on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
“It’s not often that we get an opportunity to celebrate companies’ progress,” - said Gary Cook, the Greenpeace legislative director - “We’re not used to this, but there’s been a huge change in the past two years.”
However, on its report Greenpeace pointed out also the internet companies which are not distinguished for the use of renewable energy, among these is Amazon.com.inc. defined “as the only technology company not moving in the right direction”. In fact, Amazon is using an Internet cloud-computing business called Amazon Web Services, that does not resort to the use of Renewable Energy.
“They’re the absolute laggards in the industry right now,” Cook said of Amazon. “All the other companies have made some incredible changes in the past 24 months, but Amazon has remained totally silent.”
Cook explained how Apple, Facebook and Google, which all own huge data centers in North Carolina, pushed the local utility to offer industrial customers a special rate for renewable power sources. Apple, for instance, manages a solar farm at its facility in Maiden, North Carolina, and is planning on adding solar capabilities in Oregon and Nevada.
Greenpeace, two years ago, began a e campaign called “How Clean is Your Cloud”?,” looked at how technology providers are managing their energy . The servers handling the data not only consume electricity but require air conditioning to keep them from overheating.
Apple in particular, which two years ago received a low score by Greenpeace, made a big step forward in terms of transparency, internal conservation efforts and use of renewable energy. For these reason the environmental group awarded Apple three “A”s and one “B,” together with Facebook for the highest marks. Two years ago, the iPhone maker received three “D”s and one “F” for its main green energy categories.
Other online services providers Box Inc., Google Inc., Rackspace Hosting Inc. and Salesforce.com Inc. were also praised for their data centers entirely on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
“It’s not often that we get an opportunity to celebrate companies’ progress,” - said Gary Cook, the Greenpeace legislative director - “We’re not used to this, but there’s been a huge change in the past two years.”
However, on its report Greenpeace pointed out also the internet companies which are not distinguished for the use of renewable energy, among these is Amazon.com.inc. defined “as the only technology company not moving in the right direction”. In fact, Amazon is using an Internet cloud-computing business called Amazon Web Services, that does not resort to the use of Renewable Energy.
“They’re the absolute laggards in the industry right now,” Cook said of Amazon. “All the other companies have made some incredible changes in the past 24 months, but Amazon has remained totally silent.”
Cook explained how Apple, Facebook and Google, which all own huge data centers in North Carolina, pushed the local utility to offer industrial customers a special rate for renewable power sources. Apple, for instance, manages a solar farm at its facility in Maiden, North Carolina, and is planning on adding solar capabilities in Oregon and Nevada.
