An interesting TimesOnline article written based on research done by Alex Wissner-Gross (MIT graduate now at Harvard) proposes that we should very much consider how much of an environmental impact each Google query has. The author obviously made some collateral impact on his environment by posting his estimate of such environmental impact as 7 grams of CO2 emitted per search.
Google posted a response according to which the figure is closer to 0.2 grams per search. This response also soberingly states that the "EU standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet. Thus, the average car driven for one kilometer produces as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches."
Just by way of another comparison, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the US Government, on average each person in the world produces around 11 metric tons of CO2 each year. Canada's contribution is around 16 tons per capita. That's over 2.2 million Google searches a year per person!
So if you search less on Google, you might be able to help Canada achieve the Kyoto commitments - which big industry never allowed the Government to ratify! But the little individual is now shown the true direction to follow: Forget cutting down on your car's emissions! (How will the oil industry --the great polluter-- be able to post billion-dollar profits if you don't drive your car as inefficiently as possible?) Forget cheeseburgers! (By loosing pounds you may actually stay healthy and won't need drugs --great polluter #2-- or doctors as much, a big No! No!) Chop down on Google searches! 0.2 grams of CO2 per search!
Google posted a response according to which the figure is closer to 0.2 grams per search. This response also soberingly states that the "EU standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet. Thus, the average car driven for one kilometer produces as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches."
Just by way of another comparison, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the US Government, on average each person in the world produces around 11 metric tons of CO2 each year. Canada's contribution is around 16 tons per capita. That's over 2.2 million Google searches a year per person!
So if you search less on Google, you might be able to help Canada achieve the Kyoto commitments - which big industry never allowed the Government to ratify! But the little individual is now shown the true direction to follow: Forget cutting down on your car's emissions! (How will the oil industry --the great polluter-- be able to post billion-dollar profits if you don't drive your car as inefficiently as possible?) Forget cheeseburgers! (By loosing pounds you may actually stay healthy and won't need drugs --great polluter #2-- or doctors as much, a big No! No!) Chop down on Google searches! 0.2 grams of CO2 per search!
