14 DAY TRIAL // In order to help reduce the carbon footprint associated with computers worldwide, Google co-founded the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) to teach and educate users on how to build a “greener” future. How? By using power management tools on their personal computers and buying more efficient machines, so they can reduce CO2 emissions by nearly half a ton and save more than $60 a year in personal energy costs. A simple change, but done on a large scale, can have a great collective impact on our planet.
This program was initiated to help educate not only computer users but all the people around the world that it’s time to protect our planet. The main goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 54 million tons per year by 2010, which is the equivalent of taking 11 million cars off the road.
Colleges and universities around the world are challenged via this program to reduce pollution by decreasing the power used by campus computers. Climate Savers Computing Initiative, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, will organize the competition and invite higher-education institutions to take part in it.
Pat Tiernan, the executive director of Climate Savers Computing Initiative, said that “The Power Down for the Planet program is designed to educate and engage college students on a large scale about their computer power consumption and how that affects the environment.” He also stated that, “College students in the U.S. alone can collectively make a one million-ton reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by better managing their computers.”
The challenge will have two winners: a university, which will be selected internationally will win points depending on the numbers of students that decide to use the computer power management tools, and a video, which will show best the consequences of our actions on the environment. The winning video will be used in this eco-campaign because the biggest obstacle the planet has to face is not technological, it's awareness, or lack thereof.