Why IT has to Go Green

With the amount of C02 emitted by UK data centers being greater than the combined annual CO2 emissions of Norwich and Oxford, it is time for the IT industry to take responsibility for their actions. Compared to the widely criticized aerospace industry, which accounts for 2% of the world's total CO2 emissions, IT accounts for 4%. Despite these negative figures, it is encouraging to hear from The Carbon Trust and YouGov reports on employee attitudes to carbon reduction, 70% said they wanted to reduce their carbon emissions but wanted more guidance and reinforcement. With news that internet advertising will take over from television later this year, being environmentally conscious has never been more important. The IT Job Board, www.theitjobboard.co.uk, as an online provider of IT vacancies, believes in the future of IT through responsible work practices. Below are tips to go green in your office and make a difference:1. Recycling An estimated 1 million tonnes of electrical equipment is scrapped by commercial groups in the UK each year. As electronic goods have shorter lifespans and are recycled more often, this is becoming an increasing problem. According to Gartner, despite the global economic slowdown, PC sales rose 13% worldwide in 2007 to 270 million PCs, the vast majority of which end up in landfills or gathering dust in garages. Below are some tips on how to go green:  30-40% of the 40 million ink and toner cartridges sold in the UK are remanufactured or recycled, but 12-14,000 tonnes still end up in landfill. Ink cartridges can be refilled and most toner cartridges can be remanufactured.  Check with your local recycling office to see if commercial recyclables are accepted at public recycling collection centers.  Before you throw away your PC, research commercial organizations that buy and sell business computer systems, either as complete systems or for refurbishment or as spare parts for maintenance purposes.  There are also a number of community computer reuse projects in the UK which facilitate the transfer of surplus computers from businesses to the community.2. Energy It is vital that we reduce the amount of energy we use to reduce associated pollution and preserve the world's natural resources and habitats.  Reducing business emissions is vital as industry, business and the public sector contribute 19% of the UK's total carbon emissions  Encourage staff to switch off lights, computers, copiers and other electrical equipment when they leave the office or are not in rooms.  Activate power saving features on all computers and copiers.  Using screen savers often consumes more power. Many IT departments are struggling because their ability to measure and monitor energy consumption is currently limited in most cases. However, this should not deter you from doing everything in your power to deal with this green problem in your office.As the amount of C02 that Britain’s data centres emit is more than the total annual CO2 emissions of Norwich and Oxford, it is time the IT industry took responsibility for their actions. In comparison to the widely criticised aviation industry, which accounts for 2% of the worlds total C02 carbon emissions, IT accounts for 4%.