Comments on: Saving the Planet, One Search at a Time http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:23:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: iBlackle Fan http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-310065 iBlackle Fan Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:52:15 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-310065 For those who are iGoogle users, and Blackle users, or for those who search for images a lot (like astropixie above), or for those who simply appreciate efforts of online ecofriendliness, then iBlackle is for you. Its a parody of Blackle and iGoogle, with features that actually work! For those who are iGoogle users, and Blackle users, or for those who search for images a lot (like astropixie above), or for those who simply appreciate efforts of online ecofriendliness, then iBlackle is for you. Its a parody of Blackle and iGoogle, with features that actually work!

]]> By: Ben http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-310044 Ben Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:00:59 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-310044 I agree with both Sean and Julianne that you can't save the world one recycled newspaper or compact fluorescent at a time. However, I also agree that making an effort to do things like cut down on garbage, packaging, energy use etc can show a definite improvement per person. The importance of this, I think, is not just "what if everybody did it" but getting people involved. When people think that conservation is something that they can participate in, I think it makes them more open to supporting large-scale conservation and environmental defense actions, such as carbon pricing. People have a way of tuninng out problems that sound so much bigger than their lives as to have no immediate impact. Back to Google searching, we might estimate the carbon load of one's Google search. It is often estimated that Goog operates about 5e5 servers, with power consumption perhaps 20-100 MW and an electric bill of maybe US$20-100 million/yr. I have no idea how many Google searches people do per day - a billion? If so, your search costs them about 1 watt-hour. (Ignoring whatever tiny fraction of their power is devoted to blogspot, etc.) If you spend 10 minutes doing the search and looking at the results on a 60 watt laptop, you used 10 watt-hours. IOW, your computer is a bigger problem, in carbon load, than Goog's datacenter - because there are so many other computers like it. Thus, while the original premise is of course a joke, the whole idea that we could use vastly more efficient computers is not a bad one. (One that Google is working on, because the way CPUs are developing, their electric bill may soon be larger than the capital cost of their servers.) I agree with both Sean and Julianne that you can’t save the world one recycled newspaper or compact fluorescent at a time. However, I also agree that making an effort to do things like cut down on garbage, packaging, energy use etc can show a definite improvement per person. The importance of this, I think, is not just “what if everybody did it” but getting people involved. When people think that conservation is something that they can participate in, I think it makes them more open to supporting large-scale conservation and environmental defense actions, such as carbon pricing. People have a way of tuninng out problems that sound so much bigger than their lives as to have no immediate impact.

Back to Google searching, we might estimate the carbon load of one’s Google search. It is often estimated that Goog operates about 5e5 servers, with power consumption perhaps 20-100 MW and an electric bill of maybe US$20-100 million/yr. I have no idea how many Google searches people do per day - a billion? If so, your search costs them about 1 watt-hour. (Ignoring whatever tiny fraction of their power is devoted to blogspot, etc.) If you spend 10 minutes doing the search and looking at the results on a 60 watt laptop, you used 10 watt-hours. IOW, your computer is a bigger problem, in carbon load, than Goog’s datacenter - because there are so many other computers like it. Thus, while the original premise is of course a joke, the whole idea that we could use vastly more efficient computers is not a bad one. (One that Google is working on, because the way CPUs are developing, their electric bill may soon be larger than the capital cost of their servers.)

]]> By: Richard E. http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309939 Richard E. Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:48:42 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309939 Re the lights always on -- at my place of work, all the lights were recently attached to timers that turn overhead lights off after they detect no movement in a room for some set time (10 or 15 minutes, I think.). I almost always turn my lights off when I go home, but I frequently find that if I have unexpectedly been out of my office they flick on again as soon as I walk through the door. Apparently the cost savings justify the work involved swapping out the light switches, even before you start to talk about C0_2. On the other hand, when I was a place with big, roughly cube shaped physics building, it was a pleasant form of pelmanism to look up at the side of the building that housed the faculty offices during the evening, and to know at a glance which professors were burning the midnight oil. And now you could be sure that they were actually in their offices (and moving every now and then). Re the lights always on — at my place of work, all the lights were recently attached to timers that turn overhead lights off after they detect no movement in a room for some set time (10 or 15 minutes, I think.).

I almost always turn my lights off when I go home, but I frequently find that if I have unexpectedly been out of my office they flick on again as soon as I walk through the door. Apparently the cost savings justify the work involved swapping out the light switches, even before you start to talk about C0_2.

On the other hand, when I was a place with big, roughly cube shaped physics building, it was a pleasant form of pelmanism to look up at the side of the building that housed the faculty offices during the evening, and to know at a glance which professors were burning the midnight oil. And now you could be sure that they were actually in their offices (and moving every now and then).

]]> By: a cornellian http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309936 a cornellian Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:12:26 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309936 I was thinking of plastics and the like more than metal. I totally agree that recycling is a good thing, I am just throwing out there that it is possible to go too far, similar to bio-fuels. Yes, running on corn sounds like a good idea, but depending on who's numbers you believe, it ends up energy (read fossil fuel) negative. I was thinking of plastics and the like more than metal.

I totally agree that recycling is a good thing, I am just throwing out there that it is possible to go too far, similar to bio-fuels. Yes, running on corn sounds like a good idea, but depending on who’s numbers you believe, it ends up energy (read fossil fuel) negative.

]]> By: The Almighty Bob http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309907 The Almighty Bob Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:22:11 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309907 Yes, cornellian, but as we're not going to be mining the mantle for our iron ore anytime soon, perhaps spending the extra cash re-using the stuff we've already dug up is a good thing? Yes, cornellian, but as we’re not going to be mining the mantle for our iron ore anytime soon, perhaps spending the extra cash re-using the stuff we’ve already dug up is a good thing?

]]> By: a cornellian http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309898 a cornellian Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:57:19 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309898 Just to play devils advocate there is (in principle) a cross over with recycling where you are spending more energy to reprocess the materials than you would have had to start from scratch. Just to play devils advocate there is (in principle) a cross over with recycling where you are spending more energy to reprocess the materials than you would have had to start from scratch.

]]> By: Manas Shaikh http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309887 Manas Shaikh Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:41:25 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309887 1. The darkoogle/whate does little to save energy. But 2. It has symbolic importance in that it reminds people. Next? DarkCV? 1. The darkoogle/whate does little to save energy. But
2. It has symbolic importance in that it reminds people.

Next? DarkCV?

]]> By: Bob http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309855 Bob Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:34:03 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309855 Odd, just yesterday I was thinking about two things that this site has that aren't energy specific - one was that I am sometimes interested in minimizing ambient light for dark-adaptation reasons (not astronomical or flight-deck grade serious-level) - and the other was that I was wondering why Google didn't enlarge the width of their search form - I find myself sometimes searching with somewhat lengthy terms and hate having to scroll around in the slot. Thanks for bringing this (and via the comments) another darkened google to my attention. I've been using Scroogle for some time because I like the thumb-your-nose at tracking attitude. Odd, just yesterday I was thinking about two things that this site has that aren’t energy specific - one was that I am sometimes interested in minimizing ambient light for dark-adaptation reasons (not astronomical or flight-deck grade serious-level) - and the other was that I was wondering why Google didn’t enlarge the width of their search form - I find myself sometimes searching with somewhat lengthy terms and hate having to scroll around in the slot.

Thanks for bringing this (and via the comments) another darkened google to my attention. I’ve been using Scroogle for some time because I like the thumb-your-nose at tracking attitude.

]]> By: Claire http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309854 Claire Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:24:57 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309854 Julianne, Thankyou for pointing this site out, I never even knew it existed until now. It is good for me as dyslexia is lessened. It's also good for partially sighted people. Claire Julianne,

Thankyou for pointing this site out, I never even knew it existed until now. It is good for me as dyslexia is lessened. It’s also good for partially sighted people.

Claire

]]> By: Julianne http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309849 Julianne Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:55:03 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309849 Sean -- I agree with you that the far larger problems are structural. However, I am also someone who reuses aluminum foil and plastic bags, so small solutions obviously serve some role in staunching wounds in my psyche. Less facetiously, however, I do think that small solutions frequently add up to something substantial. I've been spending a significant fraction of my past few summers in Germany, where I was presented with 4 separate recepticles for sorting my trash. I was initially so flummoxed that I left most of my trash on the countertop in fear of doing it wrong. However, after mastering the system, the fraction of my waste that was true, destined-for-the-landfill, capital-T trash was minute, even for a family of 4. If you have a nation of people doing this, you have to have a significant reduction in the amount of stuff going to the landfill. The government clearly plays a role in organizing this effort and making it sustainable, but individual action is critical for success. However, I completely understand (and understood at posting) that Blackle is not exactly equivalent. I may reuse my tin-foil, but I'm not quite that naive! Sean — I agree with you that the far larger problems are structural. However, I am also someone who reuses aluminum foil and plastic bags, so small solutions obviously serve some role in staunching wounds in my psyche.

Less facetiously, however, I do think that small solutions frequently add up to something substantial. I’ve been spending a significant fraction of my past few summers in Germany, where I was presented with 4 separate recepticles for sorting my trash. I was initially so flummoxed that I left most of my trash on the countertop in fear of doing it wrong. However, after mastering the system, the fraction of my waste that was true, destined-for-the-landfill, capital-T trash was minute, even for a family of 4. If you have a nation of people doing this, you have to have a significant reduction in the amount of stuff going to the landfill. The government clearly plays a role in organizing this effort and making it sustainable, but individual action is critical for success.

However, I completely understand (and understood at posting) that Blackle is not exactly equivalent. I may reuse my tin-foil, but I’m not quite that naive!

]]> By: Max http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309848 Max Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:46:38 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309848 Here's an article that explains how using blackle on LCD's doesn't really help: http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/does-a-darkened-google-really-save-electricity-104/ Here’s an article that explains how using blackle on LCD’s doesn’t really help:

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/does-a-darkened-google-really-save-electricity-104/

]]> By: Sean http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309847 Sean Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:35:48 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309847 And Julianne, I hope you've learned your lesson. No good intention goes unridiculed. And Julianne, I hope you’ve learned your lesson. No good intention goes unridiculed.

]]> By: Neil B. http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309844 Neil B. Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:52:35 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309844 You can set most browsers to override page colors and show what you want anytime. You can set most browsers to override page colors and show what you want anytime.

]]> By: Jon H http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309842 Jon H Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:32:58 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309842 " but for the rest of us: have your monitor turn off! Those 5 seconds waiting for the warmup aren’t a big." And if your laptop has an LED backlight, there is no warmup. What bugs me are offices that leave the overhead lights on. ” but for the rest of us: have your monitor turn off! Those 5 seconds waiting for the warmup aren’t a big.”

And if your laptop has an LED backlight, there is no warmup.

What bugs me are offices that leave the overhead lights on.

]]> By: nka http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309841 nka Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:13:45 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309841 that is really stupid that is really stupid

]]> By: Lawrence B. Crowell http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309840 Lawrence B. Crowell Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:10:35 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309840 The biggest technology to focus on in order to save energy are automobiles. A monitor is a 100 watt device (approx) and a car is a ~100 hp device at 770 watts/hp as I recall the conversion. Drive less and drive a fuel efficient car. That will do more than any energy saving idea with electronics. Lawrence B. Crowell The biggest technology to focus on in order to save energy are automobiles. A monitor is a 100 watt device (approx) and a car is a ~100 hp device at 770 watts/hp as I recall the conversion. Drive less and drive a fuel efficient car. That will do more than any energy saving idea with electronics.

Lawrence B. Crowell

]]> By: Sean http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309830 Sean Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:14:08 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309830 I will confess to having an even deeper objection, which applies to the whole notion of helping the environment by saving energy through <a href="http://blackle.com/tips/" rel="nofollow">small steps</a>. It's nice and all, but mostly it makes us feel good, while having negligible impact on overall resource consumption. What we actually need is collective action in the form of massive government intervention to dramatically change the incentive structure. Personal virtue (as Dick Cheney would put it) is fine, unless it distracts us from the need to enact much more substantial measures. I will confess to having an even deeper objection, which applies to the whole notion of helping the environment by saving energy through small steps. It’s nice and all, but mostly it makes us feel good, while having negligible impact on overall resource consumption. What we actually need is collective action in the form of massive government intervention to dramatically change the incentive structure. Personal virtue (as Dick Cheney would put it) is fine, unless it distracts us from the need to enact much more substantial measures.

]]> By: Ken Norton http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309821 Ken Norton Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:58:59 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309821 Repeatedly debunked, including by Google themselves: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html Repeatedly debunked, including by Google themselves:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html

]]> By: Tom M http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309809 Tom M Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:36:32 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309809 <blockquote>I mainly like this because there’s no glare from the screen</blockquote> Yes, actually this is important to me. Often I need to work on tasks while a photomultiplier tube is on recording data for me, so I set my desktops to black and choose a dark windows theme.

I mainly like this because there’s no glare from the screen

Yes, actually this is important to me. Often I need to work on tasks while a photomultiplier tube is on recording data for me, so I set my desktops to black and choose a dark windows theme.

]]> By: Tom M http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309808 Tom M Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:35:27 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/02/01/saving-the-planet-one-search-at-a-time/#comment-309808 Save energy - set your monitor to turn off after 5 minutes (or whatever you find acceptable based on your work habits). It drives me nuts that so many people keep their LCDs always on and use a screen savers. Some people have interrupted working habits where they need to often and quickly access their computer, but for the rest of us: have your monitor turn off! Those 5 seconds waiting for the warmup aren't a big. Also, turn off your work computer at night and over the weekends. Save energy - set your monitor to turn off after 5 minutes (or whatever you find acceptable based on your work habits).

It drives me nuts that so many people keep their LCDs always on and use a screen savers. Some people have interrupted working habits where they need to often and quickly access their computer, but for the rest of us: have your monitor turn off! Those 5 seconds waiting for the warmup aren’t a big.

Also, turn off your work computer at night and over the weekends.

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