Do Tech Companies Care About Global Warming?
In California we do.
As geeks and new tech enthusiasts, we depend on computer infrastructure and use a lot of greenhouse gas-emitting electricity to grok our world. Deep down inside, we hope the same breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation that make us Twitter with excitement can also help us restore our balance with Nature.
In and around the SF Bay Area, Internet companies are tackling climate change with what they know best - technology innovation and the crowdsourcing powers of the social web.
Google is probably the company with the most ambitious global warming corporate action plan on Earth. Fortunately, it has the budget to do so. Google has long indicated a commitment to addressing climate change, from both the Foundation perspective and from the standpoint of business operations. Google’s commitment to lightening its ecological footprint can result in some pretty nice employee perks such as free, mostly organic food for its 10,000 employees, and utensils made out of biodegradable corn-based plastic that can be turned into dirt in its very own composting facilities.
Google currently partially powers their huge data centers with solar power, installing 1.6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels at their headquarters in Mountain View. The search engine not only invests in renewable energy and greener technologies, it has made a commitment to reducing its behemoth carbon footprint to zero. That’s a lot of clicks to make carbon neutral.
Not to be outdone, Yahoo! launched Yahoo! Green an excellent Green information portal that aggregates top climate change and environmental news, in addition to a section dedicated to Y! Answers about the Environment. Other Yahoo! Green sections include Global Warming, tips on how to live a Green Lifestyle, a Carbon Footprint Calculator, a Green Gift Guide, and a section where users can pledge to Take Action. Two search engines, two different approaches to being Green. As Michael Arrington pondered, Google vs. Yahoo, who cares most about the environment?
Green websites are hot, with TreeHugger snapped up by the Discovery Channel, and Zaadz, a LOHAS social networking site, purchased by Gaiam earlier this year. Even TechCrunch’s arch-rival, GigaOm launched Earth2Tech this year, a site devoted to the business of clean technologies, its innovations and everything else.
WiserEarth, a nonprofit venture launched by Paul Hawken, founder of the Natural Capital Institute, is compelling community directory and networking forum created on a structured wiki platform. The site maps and connects non-governmental organizations and individuals addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water, hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights and more.
Whether for profit or nonprofit, California clearly likes to fight global warming with technology. The state has become the nation’s biggest hub for green tech companies, attracting hundreds of $ millions in investment. In 2006, California’s green tech businesses soaked up $884 million, 36 percent of all the money venture capitalists spent on the industry within the United States.
For decades, California has led the nation with its clean and green policies. But population growth and increasing energy consumption, coupled with aggressive greenhouse-gas reduction laws mean the next stage of environmental progress will need to be stronger, faster and more innovative than in the past.
Can a handful of pioneering, VC-funded, bleeding-edge tech companies come up with solutions that will help turn the tide of global warming? I hope so.
Technorati Tags: google, yahoo green, earth2tech, treehugger, zaadz, gaiam, green tech, california green tech, greentech, wiser earth, paul hawken, natural capital institute
November 28th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I’m just an old guy living in Iowa, but I am a little confused about all this talk about Google being a “green company” I see they just bought 1000 acres of prime farm ground just South of Council Bluffs, Ia. Looks like they are building a server farm and warehouses. This new place is within sight of a brand new coal fired power plant that will supply it with inexpensive elictric power. There is a new e-85 plant being built just a 1/4 mile away that could be using the corn that used to grow on the Google land. Guess I need a pair of those “green colored glasses” that some of you wear. Then maybe I would be enlightened like the rest of you. Looks like a BIG footprint to me.
Rick
December 7th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Hi Rick,
Thanks for sharing! I think the important point to note is that historically, big corporations in America have rarely ever attempted to reduce their environmental footprint through modifications to their business operations or supply chain at such a grand scale.
Often, environmental initiatives would come as a token gesture of goodwill through nonprofit donations via their corporate foundation, company-wide recycling programs, gestures that have value, but which barely rectify the actual damage created by the company’s business operations.
I think its important that industry leaders such as Google and Walmart (in its initiative to green its supply chain) take a big step forward in reducing their environmental impact. Not only do they set an industry standard, because these companies are so big their actions stand to go a long way.
Google has a long way to go before it becomes a zero emissions company, but spending hundreds of millions of dollars is a good start.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/28/MN8UTJR7P.DTL&type=business