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TECHNOLOGY GUIDE
Green IT
ONE
The Way Forward to Achieving
Environmental Sustainability
Professor San Murugesan
Faculty of Management
[email protected]
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What’s Green IT?
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Green IT refers to environmentally sound IT.
“Study and practice of designing, manufacturing,
using, and disposing computers efficiently and
effectively with minimal impact on the
environment.” -- San Murugesan
Thus, green IT adds the dimensions of:
1. environmental sustainability
2. the economics of energy efficiency, and
3. the total cost of ownership, which includes the
cost of disposal and recycling.
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 “Science is always wrong. It never solves
a problem without creating ten more.”
- George Bernard Shaw
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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
 The growing accumulation of greenhouse gases is
changing the world’s climate and weather patterns
 For instance, the year 2005 was the warmest on record,
and the 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1980.
Global data shows that storms, droughts, and other
weather-related disasters are growing more severe and
more frequent.
 To stop the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Electricity is a major source of climate
change as it is generated by burning coal or oil, which
releases carbon dioxide, pollutants and sulfur into the
atmosphere.
 These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog,
acid rain, and global climate change.
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The Environmental Impacts of IT
 IT, too, affects the environment in several different ways.
 Each stage of computer’s life — from manufacture to use
to disposal — presents environmental problems.
• Manufacture of computers and its various components
consumes electricity, requires raw materials, chemicals, and water,
and generates hazardous waste.
• Computers, and cooling systems that cool the data centers
consume electrical energy, and the total energy consumption is
increasing. The increase in energy consumption results in
increased greenhouse gas emissions.
• Computer components contain toxic materials, which usually just
get thrown out in the end. Most of this ends up in landfills,
polluting the earth and contaminating water.
 The increased amount of computers and their use, along with
frequent replacement, makes the environmental impact of IT a major
concern.
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Going Green with IT: Your Responsibility
Towards Environmental Sustainability
 There is increasing pressure on the IT
industry and the users - businesses, and
individuals — to make IT environmentally
friendly throughout its lifecycle — from
birth to death to rebirth.
 As many believe, it is our social and
corporate responsibility to safeguard our
planet/environment.
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Green IT
 On our part, we — IT professionals
and industry, businesses, and users
— can, and must, individually and
collectively create a sustainable
environment.
 Let’s examine IT’s the environmental
impact and then look at green IT
measures that we can adopt.
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Green IT: Focus Areas
Focus areas include:
1. Design for environmental sustainability
2. Energy-efficient computing
3. Power management
4. Data center design, layout, and location
5. Server virtualization
6. Responsible disposal and recycling
7. Regulatory compliance
8. Green metrics, assessment tools and methodology
9. Environment-related risk mitigation
10. Use of alternative energy sources
11. Eco-labeling of IT products
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IT Vendors are Turning to Green IT
 A growing number of IT vendors are
moving toward green IT.
• Supplying “Green Computers” - design,
manufacture, recycle
• Tools to minimise and measure energy
consumption, environmental pollution
 Thereby they assist in building a green
society and a green economy
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A Holistic Approach to Green IT
Green Use
of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing
of IT Systems
GREEN IT
Green Design
of IT Systems
Green Disposal
of IT Systems
Source: San Murugesan, IT Professional, 2008
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A Holistic Approach to Green IT
Green Use
of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing
of IT Systems
GREEN IT
Green Design
of IT Systems
San Murugesan
Green Disposal
of IT Systems
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A Holistic Approach to Green IT
Green Use
of IT Systems
Green Manufacturing
of IT Systems
GREEN IT
Green Design
of IT Systems
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Green Disposal
of IT Systems
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Green your computer’s entire lifecycle
Green Design
Use reprocessed
Green manufacture material
of computers
Reuse parts
Redeploy,
reuse
Use computers
judiciously
Recycle, reprocess
materials
Refurbish,
upgrade
Dispose
Donate
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Green Attitude:
The First Step in Sustaining our Planet
 Businesses and individuals must develop
a positive attitude toward addressing
environmental concerns and adopt
forward-looking, green-friendly policies
and practices.
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Green IT Strategy & Policy
 Enterprise Green IT Strategy: Each
enterprise must develop a holistic,
comprehensive green IT strategy
• Tactical incremental approach.
• Strategic approach.
• Deep green approach.
 Green Supply Chain
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Using IT for Environmental Sustainability
 Besides IT itself being green, it can support and leverage
other environmental initiatives by offering innovative
modeling, simulation, and decision support tools, such as:
1. Software tools for analyzing, modeling, and simulating
environmental impact, and environmental risk management;
2. Platforms for eco-management, emission trading, or ethical
investing;
3. Tools for auditing and reporting energy consumption and
savings and for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions;
4. Environmental knowledge management systems,
5. Urban environment planning tools and systems;
6. Technologies and standards for interoperable environmental
monitoring networks and smart in situ sensors networks
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Using IT to Create Green Awareness
 IT could help create green awareness
among IT professionals, businesses, and
the general public by assisting in building
communities, engaging groups in
participatory decisions, and supporting
education and green advocacy
campaigns.
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The Way Forward: The Avenues
1. IT becoming Greener
2. Green IT Strategy & Policy – and Adoption
3. IT for Improving and leveraging
Environmental Sustainability
4. Using IT for creating green awareness
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Discussion
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Resources
 San Murugesan, “Harnessing Green IT: Principles and
Practices”, IEEE IT Pro, Jan-Feb 2008.
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