A growing cloud: warning over IT emissions

A new report from Greenpeace warns that the growth of internet computing could come with a huge jump in greenhouse gas emissions. 'Make IT Green: Cloud Computing and its Contribution to Climate Change', shows how the launch of quintessential cloud computing devices like the Apple iPad, which offer users access to the 'cloud' of online services like social networks and video streaming, can contribute to a much larger carbon footprint of the IT sector than previously estimated. The report builds on previous industry research and shows that at current growth rates data centres and telecommunication networks will consume about 1,963 billion kilowatts hours of electricity in 2020. That is more than triple their current consumption and more than the current electricity consumption of France, Germany, Canada and Brazil combined. However, the report also shows how IT can avert climate chaos by becoming a transformative force advocating for solutions that increase the use of renewable energy. As the internet grows as a platform � a place where more things are done, not only stored away � the IT industry's hunger for energy will increase, the report warns.