The technological advances that have taken place over the last twenty-five years have helped to create amazing innovations that people benefit from every day. One of the most beneficial aspects seen today is the use of cloud computing technology that many businesses and individuals make use of as a way of storing and sharing information without the need for their own physical server or drive space. While this is a wonderful advancement that has taken place and provides great opportunity for companies and individuals alike, there is some growing concern over the energy use practices and the emissions from these industries. It has made many people begin to question if cloud computing poses any type of environmental danger.
Where the Danger Lies
When cloud computing was first developing and growing it was before many of the technology companies began to have real concerns about the energy sources they were using. As recently as 2012 there were very real concerns that many of the top companies involved in cloud computing and providing these services were expanding at a very rapid pace and with little concern about the energy being used or generated and about any potential emissions and how all of this impacted society and he environment. There are also serious concerns over not just the cloud services but the user services that make use of cloud technology such as smartphones, cell phones, tablets and laptops. It is now estimated that emissions from these devices make up almost two percent of all of the emissions attributed to global warming, making it equal to that of the aviation industry worldwide.
What is Changing
Luckily, the trend has started to change quite a bit just over the last few years to make the services and technology greener. Companies that provide these services have understood the impact they can have on global energy and emissions and have made changes to the industry and technology. Large companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and others that have very large data centers and services have pledged to making sure that their data centers are all powered with one hundred percent clean energy to make the practices much safer for the environment. While not all major companies have begun to follow suit just yet, there is a great deal of promise that this will happen in the near future. With more companies taking the right steps the energy will be much cleaner and safer to use.
The rise and demand of cloud computing services is only expected to grow larger and larger over the coming years. This makes it even more important that companies consider closely their methods for providing these services and the energy they are using and generating on a regular basis. The steps they take now can help to ensure that the sources of energy stay as clean as possible to make the practice not only one that provides a great benefit for society and cultures around the world but does so without causing harm to the environment.