What’s IT all about?

In the past, you may have used your spare CPU cycles (as I have) to benefit the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project, or to research a cure for cancer. Both are worthy uses, although one more than the other, depending on your point of view. More recently I have not been utilising my computer in this way, mainly because it costs to keep computers running 24×7 if you were not planning to do that beforehand (and before anyone comments, I know you don’t have to keep your computer going all the time to contribute, but if you’re going to offer it as a resource, it seems churlish not to keep it running). When I say cost, it’s not the pounds and pence coming from my pocket I’m worried about, it’s the cost to the planet of the power needed to keep the PC active.

Then I came across Local Cooling. Similar concept in the way it’s offered to the public (sign up and then share your stats with the world), but this time it’s reducing power consumption and not increasing it. So I have signed up (hence the nice little banner on the right) and I encourage you to do so. Go on, you know it makes sense.

Just come across an interesting article on the ITPro website which states:

A survey by AMR of 200 companies across the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain found that technology-related spending on environmental initiatives will be more than 21 per cent in 2007.

And also:

Increasingly, however, businesses are setting out to improve their environmental performance as a result of customer pressure, not least the worry that they might loose sales to greener rivals.

Can you afford not to start thinking about how to make your business more environmentally friendly?

Click here for the full article.