Beyond carbon-neutral – a whole new state of green…

A new web hosting company, based on Salt Spring Island, is set to become Canada’s first carbon-free web host. Solar Energy Host is offering 100% carbon free web hosting that generates zero green house gas emissions. While consumers are familiar with the term carbon-neutral, many will be hearing the phrase ‘carbon-free’ for the first time.

Company founder, Aaron Handford explored the idea on a recent trip to San Francisco earlier this year. “I was really impressed with the idea of reducing the “carbon footprint” of the Internet. By using solar power to host the sites I saw an opportunity to make a difference in a real way. Instead of using the “carbon neutral” system where companies purchase carbon credits to offset their green house gas emissions, we offer a cleaner solution – websites powered by solar energy – nothing comes from the grid, it’s carbon-free.”

How much carbon is “the net” itself generating? According to Handford, “The Internet has a big carbon footprint. It’s estimated that globally it takes about 868 billion kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity per year to run the Internet, associated PCs, routing infrastructure, and phone networks.” (http://uclue.com/index.php?xq=724)

He notes, “Of this, about 112.5 Billion kWh are used to power ‘data centers’, which are the servers that store all the websites.”

It has been estimated that as of early 2007 there were about 108,810,358 of these websites in existence. (See the link below for further details. (http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/misc/sizeofweb.html)

This represents a lot of energy, and potentially a lot of CO2 emissions. What can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of the Internet? Handford has some suggestions for those willing to research the net itself for answers. “There are web hosting packages now available that are responding to the need to be ‘carbon friendly’. My company Solar Energy Host powers our websites directly with solar energy.” Handford adds, “If your website is currently sitting on a server powered by energy from the grid, then you are tied to a system where you can never be sure where that energy is coming from, possibly from the burning of coal or other greenhouse gas producing sources. Solar Energy Host offers consumers another choice – a way to get your website off the energy grid.”

What makes it possible is a state-of-the art server that is part of the only solar powered professional web server system in the world. The servers and technology are based in California where solar powered solutions are cropping up in dramatic fashion. A Salt Spring Island based company; Solar Energy Host presents a great hosting solution – and another way to make a difference in the fight to stop global warming.

Handford went on to explain that the data center used by Solar Energy Host stops the emission of the following gasses/toxins:

* 19,890 lbs of Carbon Dioxide (CO2/GHG) per year
* 5.9 lbs of Nitrous Oxide (NOX/smog) per year
* 0.45 lbs of Sulfur Dioxide (SO4/acid rain) per year

He is also following a socially responsible business model by giving back. “We donate five dollars from each account to the ‘Gardens of Hope’ Project,” says Handford. “This money funds the planting of one tree and helps link five communities in Lesotho, southern Africa, into a network of projects that share ideas, skills, resources and common purpose while supporting the educational needs of orphaned and vulnerable children.”

For more information please visit: http://www.solarenergyhost.com

Now-a-days we hear about Climate Change more often than before. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the term “Climate Change” is indeed a straightforward expression for such a complex subject. In fact, it has more than we can comprehend from this phrase and that is why it is quite essential to go at defining climate change in today’s scenario.

In the present glossary of researchers and scientists, climate modification as a term is no longer in use and effect. The reason behind this is that we have come to realize the effect of the changes we make to our environment will eventually increase the temperature in many parts of the world, but at the same time will also be decrease in temperature for few parts of the planet. This however, creates a general imbalance in the climate of the world which in turn leads us to the phrase, “Climate Change.”

While wondering the effects of this phenomenon, the things you know of as climate modification is actually referred to as global a global phenomenon of climate change. However, with all the details and statistics we have in hand at present, we can definitely conclude that the world is unquestionably warming with the temperatures rising like never before.

This is a global problem with many natural disasters started taking shape; the general awareness of this factor is really low. For the better understanding of the issues associated with this phenomenon, we require a simple definition in relation to the warming of the planet. And this definition needs to be the one that brings us the essence of this problem without compromising the simplicities.

However, the easiest and most precise definition is that it is the effect greenhouse gases have on the earth’s overall climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane, but are not limited to these two.

While learning more about this issue, we need to understand few important facts associated with it. The first fact is that it is both a natural phenomena and one catalyzed by us. For instance, greenhouse gases are a natural part of the biosphere and would exist if man did not. In fact, these gases are a vital component to the existence of life on this planet.

It is due to the existence of the greenhouse gases, the temperature on planet earth does not average zero degrees! These naturally occurring gases help to keep the temperature at a desirable 59 degrees. But, the climate change, which is due to the greenhouse gases, is not indeed natural. In fact, the problem we are facing is the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

These gases act as thermal blankets for the atmosphere. The more gas in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the less heat escapes from earth. In the last 80years, we have been releasing these gases into our atmosphere and thus helping them to form a blanket.

On the other hand, we are reducing forests around the planet, which are the natural plant collection that absorb greenhouse gases. This double whammy is starting to show negative results, the increased heating of our world, and thus the beginning of the dreaded climate change.

Climate Change

Now-a-days we listen Climate Change more often than before. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the term “Climate Change” is indeed a straightforward expression for such a complex subject. In fact, climate change has more than we can comprehend from this phrase and that is why it is quite essential to go at defining climate change in today’s scenario. In the present glossary of researchers and scientists, climate modification as a term is no longer in use and effect. The reason behind this is that we have come to realize the effect of the changes we make to our environment will eventually increase the temperature in many parts of the world, but at the same time will also be decrease in temperature for few parts of the planet. This however, creates a general imbalance in the climate of the world which in turn leads us to the phrase, “Climate Change.”

While wondering the effects of the climate change, the things you know of as climate modification is actually referred to as global a global phenomenon of climate change. However, with all the details and statistics we have in hand at present, we can definitely conclude that the world is unquestionably warming with the temperatures rising like never before. Climate change is a global problem with many natural disasters started taking shape; the general awareness of this factor is really low. For the better understanding of the issues associated with the climate change, we require a simple definition for climate change in relation to the warming of the planet. And this definition needs to be the one that brings us the essence of this problem without compromising the simplicities. However, the easiest and most precise definition is that climate change is the effect greenhouse gases have on the earth’s overall climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane, but are not limited to these two.

While learning more about climate change, we need to understand few important facts associated with it. The first fact is that climate change is both a natural phenomena and one catalyzed by us. For instance, greenhouse gases are a natural part of the biosphere and would exist if man did not. In fact, these gases are a vital component to the existence of life on this planet. It is due to the existence of the greenhouse gases, the temperature on planet earth does not average zero degrees! These naturally occurring gases help to keep the temperature at a desirable 59 degrees. But, the climate change, which is due to the greenhouse gases, is not indeed natural. In fact, the problem we are facing is the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases act as thermal blankets for the atmosphere. The more gas in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the less heat escapes from earth. In the last 80years, we have been releasing this gases into our atmosphere and thus helping them to form a blanket. On the other hand, we are reducing forests around the planet, which are the natural plant collection that absorb greenhouse gases. This double whammy is starting to show negative results, the increased heating of our world, and thus the beginning of the dreaded climate change.