Harvard Research: Every Google search emmits 7gms CarbonDioxide
January 13th, 2009 by Annkur
We love surveys and research. And here comes another one that makes me feel like a deadly polluting criminal. Though the research isn’t particularly targeted to Google, it cites example of the serach engine and thus it naturally gets loads of attention. The study made by Harvard Researcher Alex Wissner-Gross highlights the CO2 emission due to usage of computing power while on the internet. Acording to the report basic browsing on the internet can result in CO2 emission ranging from 0.002g to 0.2g; while a typical Google search can release upto 7gms of CO2 owing to the processes involved.
Google has been quick to respond on its blog with its own figures. “…Google search uses just about the same amount of energy that your body burns in ten seconds … In terms of greenhouse gases, one Google search is equivalent to about 0.2 grams of CO2.”
Personally I believe that the research has been used wrongly by the media to target google and get some eyeballs. Thus prompting a response from Google itself on its blog. However we know about Google’s green initiatives and I would rather give up a little biking rather than stop googling 
Via G4TV / Google Blog
You might also like to read this: Google PR
Similar Posts:
- Google Custom Search now available for your smartphone
- Google Launches Desktop Search For Linux
- Google simplifies Image search using “Swirl”
- Google voice-based search for mobile users comes to India
- Google Rents Office at NASA Research Center
Categories: Concept / Educative, Tech Industry News | Tags: co2 emission, Google, harvard, harvard research, pollution, research, survey
Go Green….. use http://www.blackle.com/
Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.
“In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.”
(Refer – http://ecoiron.blogspot.com/2007/01/black-google-would-save-3000-megawatts.html)
Let’s take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Starting with Google Search…. Blackel
also heard of http://www.khojme.com/ havnt tried though