You may think that with Greenpeace focusing on saving the whales and fighting for global justice, they don’t have time to look at the environmental impact of the top technological companies across the world. But you couldn’t be more wrong. And what’s more, their new research says that one of the greenest high tech companies is, you’ve guessed it, Apple!
The Environmental Impact of Internet Companies
By their very nature, internet companies are a massive consumer of energy. Huge data servers require a constant supply of electricity around the clock. And many organisations in the industry depend on ‘browner’ energy sources such as coal and nuclear power to supply their fuel.
As these corporations get bigger, and their user base grows, the impact this type of energy consumption is having on the world is getting greater. And unless greener alternatives are found, the impact on our world could be catastrophic.
Is Apple The Solution?
According to Greenpeace, the likes of Apple are seeing their way to a brighter future. Within this new report it states that Apple’s pledge to use 100% clean energy in their Data Centres has in fact come true. And it is a move that is paving the way for the likes of Yahoo to follow suit in the years to come.
But what of the other big names such as Google, Amazon and eBay we hear you cry. Well, they are sadly lacking, with a mere 10% of eBay’s energy said to be coming from clean energy sources and a huge 38% originating from coal and natural gas alone.
Take a Look at the Bigger Picture
Though it is great to see the likes of Apple aiming for lighter carbon footprint. This new report from Greenpeace projects a very limited view.
For a start, the analysis focusses solely on the use of energy within Data Centres, and doesn’t mention the environmental impact of the products these companies produce. Or, indeed, their other service sites.
It is fantastic that Apple are using wind farms and natural energy sources to support their online servers. But what about the fact that Apple devices are some of the most unrecyclable gadgets on the market? Or the fact that they have many more service centres that have not made the same commitment.
Here at Easyhide VPN we take the environmental impact of our industry very seriously. We strive to ensure our services operate in the most energy efficient way possible. And the faster our VPN operations work to hide IP addresses and provide you with secure online activity, the greater the efficiencies to you.
So we say to the likes of Apple, well done but keep going. This is one small achievement in a massive ether of necessary improvement. And to the likes of eBay and Amazon, we say, stand up and pay attention. If you know where your energy is coming from then you need to change it now. And if you don’t, then it is time to find out, because it won’t be long before the Greens are coming after you.