The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.

I don’t understand why people are not bothered with the ongoing climate changes and their effects on our world. I am amazed by the ease with which teachers make photocopies and print things on paper all day long at school. And I keep asking them: “use the back of the sheet, at least!” but they don’t listen to me.

Even the ceramic mug I used to keep in my cabinet has disappeared. I started bringing a small bottle from home. I won’t give up. I will start a campaign to promote the use of our own cups and mugs. We use dozens of disposable cups every day to drink water and coffee. Can’t they feel the hell-like heat that is already scorching us?

What can you do to reduce global warming?

Although some climate changes are already noticeable, all of us can do something to help decrease carbon emissions. For example: at home, we can switch to a greener type of energy, using light bulbs that can consume up to 80% less electricity and that last 12 times longer than the regular ones. Turning off lights when we leave a room and turning off electronic devices in stand-by mode is good not only for the environment but also for our wallets.

Adjusting the thermostat for your central heating by lowering the temperature by only one degree can cut energy consumption by up to 10 percent. When you replace electronic devices, make sure to buy the most energy-efficient model.

Reusing or recycling paper, cardboard boxes, bottles, cans and plastic packing is a responsible and caring attitude to take towards future generations—our little Princes and Princesses deserve this attention as well as a more sustainable world. Reusing the water from the baby’s bath in the toilet, and the laundry water from washing machines for doing other household chores is another way to make a contribution.

Whenever you can, try walking or biking or using public transportation instead of driving. If you need to travel by car, try sharing the ride. I’ve been doing it when I go out with my girlfriends and also when I travel with someone. If you are replacing your car, consider buying a “greener” model or downgrading to a smaller, more fuel-efficient model. This is what I plan to do when I buy my next car, because I still cannot live without one. Emptying your trunk by taking out anything that isn’t necessary can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.

Try to cut down on your air travel and, when you do fly, consider offsetting your carbon emissions. How about planting trees? On the Click árvore website, for each click, a new tree is planted in the Atlantic Rainforest. It’s easy and quick.

Anyway, there are many easy, simple, necessary and sensible things that we can and should do. Why not start making our contribution right now?

Image: from here.

Straight from the Official Google Blog… The company owned by Pinky and the Brain swears that they only think green, that they will be a “carbon neutral” company and that they have a public plan that everybody can follow. I couldn’t resist so I went there to do some digging…

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Hundreds of millions of users access their services every day, and handling this traffic (many terabytes of data transfers) requires many computers. It’s not an easy equation: making the best use of energy and providing a good service to everybody. They began their efforts to make this structure as sustainable as possible ten years ago. Today they believe that their data centers are the most sustainable in the world—and this is what they will state at CeBit, in Hannover, Germany, at the beginning of March.

Take a look at the graph that they present

Their history is based on five main points:

1. Minimize electricity used by servers
How? (Free translation of the site content) We took away all of the unnecessary parts, such as the graphic chips. We also optimized our rack servers to use coolers (fans) as little as possible. In addition, they are set to rotate only as fast as necessary to maintain a stable server temperature. We encourage all of our suppliers (all of them) to produce components that operate efficiently, whether they are idle or operating at full or minimum capacity.

2. Reduce the energy used by the data-center facilities as a whole.

Data-center is a fancy name for a warehouse-like building that holds thousands of servers. Since these machines consume loads of electricity, they require a great deal of electrical equipment to power the servers, including power generators to supply energy in case of a power failure. Typically, 10 to 20 percent of this energy is wasted. Our first goal is to eliminate this loss.

All of the energy that goes into a data-center ends up as heat, that’s why there are fans, pumps and lots of air-conditioners to eliminate all of this heat. In many data centers, cooling alone is responsible for 20 to 70 percent of the energy consumption. Fortunately, there is an easier way to solve this problem: let water evaporate.

This is how our body maintains its temperature when the outside temperature exceeds 36 degrees Celsius. How? Energy changes water into vapor. This energy is heat, which removed from the surroundings causes a cooling effect. This is how Google’s data centers work. Below is a simple representation of their cooling towers:

Cooling towers

When this set-up isn’t enough, chillers go into action—and they consume much more energy—not to mention water… With these towers, Google’s data centers spend most of their time running in a mode called “free cooling.” This means the chillers are off. Of course, free cooling isn’t technically “free,” but it is much less expensive and more efficient.

This is why their data centers consume (at least this is my understanding… you might want to check) 16% energy, while the EPA can use up to 96%… This meant a lot of work, but they were able to reduce their environmental footprint—while lowering their costs.

Note from Ladybug: Why was it again that I didn’t buy their stocks when I could have?

3. Conserve water by using recycled water for refrigeration.

In the United States, this energy savings has a counterpart: for every kW saved, two gallons of water are also saved. This means that those guys were also able to save a lot of drinking water. And more: by the end of 2008, two facilities were already running on 100 percent recycled water. Their new goal is to have 80% of their total water consumption made up of recycled water in ALL of their data centers by 2010 (next year). To get there, anything goes: industrial sewage, rainwater, city sewage. They treat it and dump it in the cooling towers… Just a small detail: the location of the Belgian data center was chosen due to the possibility of using recycled water…

Note from Ladybug: aren’t these guys smart?

4. Reuse or recycle all electronic equipment that leaves the data centers.

Wow, they reuse or recycle 100% (everything) that leaves the data centers. According to the EPA in the United States, the average is only 18%. Everything else goes to landfills… (good heavens!) According to them, 68% of the material is reused right there. The rest is sent to institutions that need computing equipment. Some parts, however, can’t be reused. What now, uncle Google? They are sent to resellers. Note:  these companies must sign a document promising to adopt fair and socially responsible labor practices and a zero tolerance policy for e-waste, landfills, incineration, or export to developing countries.    Their commitment is to the sustainable management of their computing infrastructure during the entire lifecycle of each machine.

5. Engage our peers in the use of smarter energy practices.
To do this, Google has adopted the Climate Savers Smart Computing initiative—created by the company and Intel in 2007—which started in the spirit of WWF climate savers and led dozens of business to reduce their carbon emissions by showing them that this is a great business.   The goal of CSSC is to promote the development and the adoption of technologies that are able to increase computers’ energy efficiency and reduce their energy consumption while they are idle. Is their mission possible? Reduce their computers’ energy consumption in 50% by 2010 (next year…)

And it gets better: They encourage the use of renewable energies (which are a minority in the US, let’s not forget this), have a guide to help we poor mortal consumers to select efficient machines, and have a whole lot of other cool campaigns, such as Power Down the Planet, which invites college students to reduce their energy consumption…

Tip from Nospheratt.

Read this post at the Ladybug Brasil Blog: Google swears that it is green

The days before the meetings of the 20 biggest economies in the world, the ONU called up those countries’ leaders to adhere to a global agreement to truly invest in environmental programs that might help to increase the economy in the planet. The Greenpeace is pressuring the G20, as well, in the same line, such as other environmental NGOs. On the contrary of what the fickle Patrick Moore says, the environment isn’t listed by fear, but, by paradigm changes. The industry and governments have been unable to, now, with the crisis knocking our doors, they seem to, finally, wake up to reality.

With the downfall of Bush Jr. and his neocon gang the possibility of a wide agreement to stand up against the climate changes is huge. Barak Obama has the strength to do so, and said that he intends to restructure the American energy matrix. And, as we know, where the USA go, the whole world follows. Including the energy industry bible, the World Energy Outlook, follows the same line. The green economy is about to become mainstream. Let it not be late!

And speaking of energy, one of the strongest names to take on this area in the Obama management is nothing less than Arnold Schwarzenegger! The Governor of California takes advantage on names such as Al Gore, because he didn’t stop the action in the speech. He went there and took action on adopting renewable energy in his state, combating the emission of CO2 in an incisive way. And pay attention that Al Gore is with a very bold project, of changing radically the way that the Americans produce and spend energy in the country. By their plans (all of them are in the Repower America website), the USA would be producing 100% of energy by means of renewable sources in 10 years! It’s not few. But Schwazzie’s work in California is incredible, check it up.

Now, some situation, huh? Putting the planet’s destiny in the hands of no one less than the Terminator?