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Broadband searches harmful to environment

Logging on to broadband and performing two search requests on Google can be as detrimental to the environment as boiling a kettle.

The claim comes from US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross at Harvard University, who conducted research into the environmental impact of broadband ‘googling’.

The theory is that carbon emissions stem from the electricity used to power computer terminals, and the large data centres operated by Google around the world.

The Harvard study revealed a broadband Google search on a desktop computer produces approximately 7g of carbon dioxide. Logically, if you perform a second broadband Google request, double the amount of carbon dioxide is emitted - roughly the equivalent of boiling an electric kettle for a cup of tea.

Mr Wissner-Gross, noting that Google is renowned for its superfast broadband searches, claimed the popular search engine can answer queries so quickly because it uses several data banks at the same time. This results in it producing more carbon dioxide than some of its broadband competitors.

The research went on to reveal that we produce 0.02g of carbon emissions for every second we are connected to broadband. Despite this seemingly miniscule amount, it is the combined total of 200 million broadband searches each day which is alarming environmental physicists.

In a statement, reported by the BBC online, Google said it took the issue “seriously”, claiming “the energy used per broadband Google search is minimal”. It added that it had “built the most energy efficient data centres in the world”.

13/01/2009
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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