Comments on: Is Social Media bad for the environment? http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/ Personal and Professional Thoughts on Life and Marketing Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:32:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: david http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-91239 david Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:51:33 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-91239 This is really very interesting. It was either a poscast I found or a story I just heard on NPR, but the IT industry has always focused so much on getting more computing power in a smaller space - never any concern for power consumption, and data centers are becoming obsolete because they can't handle the power needed by today's servers. That tells you how much power is being used. Think of the carbon going into the atmosphere to generate all that power for - as you keenly point out - redundant information. This is really very interesting. It was either a poscast I found or a story I just heard on NPR, but the IT industry has always focused so much on getting more computing power in a smaller space - never any concern for power consumption, and data centers are becoming obsolete because they can’t handle the power needed by today’s servers. That tells you how much power is being used. Think of the carbon going into the atmosphere to generate all that power for - as you keenly point out - redundant information.

]]> By: Jason Falls http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88295 Jason Falls Fri, 23 May 2008 18:03:32 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88295 Chris - Hadn't seen the vampire mode chart. Very good resource. I'm certainly not saying to ignore consumption, particularly until we can find reliable alternate energy resources. But I'd rather see us focus there and secondarily find ways to conserve in the meantime. It's kind of like cancer ... do I want us to find a cure or find treatments. Well, both, but which is more impactful? Chris - Hadn’t seen the vampire mode chart. Very good resource. I’m certainly not saying to ignore consumption, particularly until we can find reliable alternate energy resources. But I’d rather see us focus there and secondarily find ways to conserve in the meantime. It’s kind of like cancer … do I want us to find a cure or find treatments. Well, both, but which is more impactful?

]]> By: Marcel LeBrun http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88284 Marcel LeBrun Fri, 23 May 2008 17:00:28 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88284 Chris, I was thinking about this very thing the other day and I think you bring up an excellent point. I would love to see someone put some math behind it. The issue isn't so much duplicate storage, but rather the vast number of different services all with major computing infrastructure that generate heat and consumer power. The faster CPUs (Moore's law mentioned above) make matters worse in that a single rack of computers now produces much more heat (and consumes more power) than it did in the past. Intel and companies like Dell who has introduced regeneration and is focusing on lowering power consumption are undertaking very important work. At Radian6, for example, each computing rack we have consumes about to $450/month in electricity. It isn't the storage (or even the bandwidth), but the CPU cycles for processing that drives the cost. Now when you divide that up on a per user basis it isn't much (a lot less than your laptop), but add a slice of energy for every service you use on the internet and you probably carry a bigger energy footprint than you would expect. That's why I also like where the industry is going with Cloud Computing. If it is done well, we should get better reuse, reduce duplication and save energy. Glad you raised this. Marcel Chris,
I was thinking about this very thing the other day and I think you bring up an excellent point. I would love to see someone put some math behind it.

The issue isn’t so much duplicate storage, but rather the vast number of different services all with major computing infrastructure that generate heat and consumer power. The faster CPUs (Moore’s law mentioned above) make matters worse in that a single rack of computers now produces much more heat (and consumes more power) than it did in the past.

Intel and companies like Dell who has introduced regeneration and is focusing on lowering power consumption are undertaking very important work.

At Radian6, for example, each computing rack we have consumes about to $450/month in electricity. It isn’t the storage (or even the bandwidth), but the CPU cycles for processing that drives the cost. Now when you divide that up on a per user basis it isn’t much (a lot less than your laptop), but add a slice of energy for every service you use on the internet and you probably carry a bigger energy footprint than you would expect.

That’s why I also like where the industry is going with Cloud Computing. If it is done well, we should get better reuse, reduce duplication and save energy.

Glad you raised this.

Marcel

]]> By: Chris Heuer http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88274 Chris Heuer Fri, 23 May 2008 16:04:26 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88274 Lisa - not sure about the balance there really, but thats a great point of comparison Clara - thanks for the headsup - just tweeted it - email me through 4chrisheuer at big G email provider with more info on how we can help - would gladly welcome a guest blog post on SMC too Jason - really, really great addition to the conversation - but it is important to focus on consumption side as well - this is the big thing around 'vampire energy' of stand by mode - do you know about this? Great chart from Good magazine http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/008/trans008vampireenergy.html Tim - always true point - if you meet the buddha on the road... must evaluate everything for yourself and consider the sources Lisa - not sure about the balance there really, but thats a great point of comparison

Clara - thanks for the headsup - just tweeted it - email me through 4chrisheuer at big G email provider with more info on how we can help - would gladly welcome a guest blog post on SMC too

Jason - really, really great addition to the conversation - but it is important to focus on consumption side as well - this is the big thing around ‘vampire energy’ of stand by mode - do you know about this? Great chart from Good magazine http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/008/trans008vampireenergy.html

Tim - always true point - if you meet the buddha on the road… must evaluate everything for yourself and consider the sources

]]> By: Tim Street http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88257 Tim Street Fri, 23 May 2008 14:47:41 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88257 Just like we need to be aware of the "Snake Oil" salesmen in Social Media we also need to keep an eye out for the "Green Oil" salesmen of the Green movement. Just like we need to be aware of the “Snake Oil” salesmen in Social Media we also need to keep an eye out for the “Green Oil” salesmen of the Green movement.

]]> By: Jason Falls http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88256 Jason Falls Fri, 23 May 2008 14:47:02 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88256 Very well done and interesting post, sir. I agree that some attention needs to be paid to consumption and the computing world, but I would focus our attentions on renewable energy sources so that the power supply for all things, not just computing, becomes the solution. However, until efficient and affordable renewable energy is available to all, you are right in that we should consider our consumption. Mass duplication of information and resources certainly does consume more energy than would be taken if we streamlined our lives. Unfortunately, the capitalism of our market and the attention deficit nature of our over-saturated media experience will continue to dictate social network migration, fad-like attention to social media tools and, if the storage is free and the upload times aren't excruciating, mass duplication of our online resources. As a species, we're not very smart sometimes. What I would suggest in addition to discussions like this to promote consumption control, is an outreach to the resources providers. Brett Wilson at TubeMogul is brilliant, and a nice guy. While I don't want to put words in his mouth, I'm sure he'd be interested in brainstorming ideas on how his service can improve to offer a more eco-friendly system. And he's a relative pebble in the pond. Yahoo, Google and other conglomerates that gobble up tools and try to streamline everything for profits out to be put on notice and asked to streamline them for the Earth as well. The good news is that the conversation has started. Now we have to find ways to get it in front of the right people. Perhaps your folks at Intel can help. My two tree-hugging cents. Very well done and interesting post, sir. I agree that some attention needs to be paid to consumption and the computing world, but I would focus our attentions on renewable energy sources so that the power supply for all things, not just computing, becomes the solution.

However, until efficient and affordable renewable energy is available to all, you are right in that we should consider our consumption. Mass duplication of information and resources certainly does consume more energy than would be taken if we streamlined our lives. Unfortunately, the capitalism of our market and the attention deficit nature of our over-saturated media experience will continue to dictate social network migration, fad-like attention to social media tools and, if the storage is free and the upload times aren’t excruciating, mass duplication of our online resources.

As a species, we’re not very smart sometimes.

What I would suggest in addition to discussions like this to promote consumption control, is an outreach to the resources providers. Brett Wilson at TubeMogul is brilliant, and a nice guy. While I don’t want to put words in his mouth, I’m sure he’d be interested in brainstorming ideas on how his service can improve to offer a more eco-friendly system. And he’s a relative pebble in the pond. Yahoo, Google and other conglomerates that gobble up tools and try to streamline everything for profits out to be put on notice and asked to streamline them for the Earth as well.

The good news is that the conversation has started. Now we have to find ways to get it in front of the right people. Perhaps your folks at Intel can help.

My two tree-hugging cents.

]]> By: Clara http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88255 Clara Fri, 23 May 2008 14:37:07 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88255 There are always tradeoffs, but I think the key word here is disruption. Those who work closely in the world of cleantech, social change and eco-change also say that they have to "disrupt" or challenge the standards of their individual industries. There are a lot of entrepreneurs there because those who see a problem see an opportunity to do something different. I partly believe that More's Law will take care of the problem, but I also strongly recommend that if you are experiencing internet fatigue should shut down the computer and go outside. Enjoy nature before it's gone! Oh, and Chris, as Social Media Club founder, maybe you could help to evangelize "shut down day" (http://www.shutdownday.org/) There are always tradeoffs, but I think the key word here is disruption. Those who work closely in the world of cleantech, social change and eco-change also say that they have to “disrupt” or challenge the standards of their individual industries. There are a lot of entrepreneurs there because those who see a problem see an opportunity to do something different.

I partly believe that More’s Law will take care of the problem, but I also strongly recommend that if you are experiencing internet fatigue should shut down the computer and go outside. Enjoy nature before it’s gone!

Oh, and Chris, as Social Media Club founder, maybe you could help to evangelize “shut down day” (http://www.shutdownday.org/)

]]> By: Lisa http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88247 Lisa Fri, 23 May 2008 14:22:31 +0000 http://www.chrisheuer.com/2008/05/23/is-social-media-bad-for-the-environment/#comment-88247 On the other hand, it's better than using toxic chemicals to print out all those pictures and throw away the ones that didn't come out On the other hand, it’s better than using toxic chemicals to print out all those pictures and throw away the ones that didn’t come out

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