Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
ETHICAL AND
SOCIETAL ISSUES
Green Data Centers
Midsized to large businesses maintain powerful computers called
servers that store data and run software to provide information
system services to users on the corporate network and Internet.
Large corporations might maintain hundreds or even thousands of
servers in large facilities called data centers. For example,
Microsoft is building a 400,000 square foot data center in San
Antonio at a cost of $550 million. Google is investing $750 million
in a data center facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina and $600
million in a facility in Lenoir, North Carolina.
Because businesses rely on information and its management,
the demand for powerful data centers is rapidly growing. Unfortu-
nately, data centers require a lot of power to run and to cool. It is
estimated that the money required to cool a data center is equal to
the cost of the servers themselves. With the increased awareness
of global warming and the contributions of coal-burning power
plants to this problem, data centers are drawing the attention of
environmentalists and others who want to save energy. The elec-
tricity required to run data centers worldwide doubled between
2000 and 2005. This trend is expected to continue; one report esti-
mates that by 2010, the world will require at least 10 new 1,000
megawatt power plants to support the increased demands of data
centers.
Governments and corporations, wanting to do what they can to
minimize the impact of data centers on the environment and gain
some good publicity in the process, are taking action. At the end of
2006, President Bush signed a law authorizing the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) to analyze the effect of data cen-
ters on the environment. The U.S. federal government has plans to
consolidate its own many data centers into smaller, more efficient
facilities. The United Kingdom is evaluating its data centers and
moving to greener technologies and techniques to comply with
new environmental policies and laws passed in the United King-
dom and the European Union.
The report from the EPA projects that data center power con-
sumption could be cut by as much as 20 percent if data center
managers take simple steps such as using power management
systems, turning off unused servers, and consolidating resources.
Manufacturers are working on new technologies to minimize
power consumption in servers. One company is experimenting
with building a data center in an abandoned coal mine under-
ground, where cooling requirements will be minimal. It is estimat-
ed that the subterranean data center will save $9 million per year.
Clearly the current power requirements of information sys-
tems and the concern over global warming are at odds. Technolo-
gy companies are well aware of these concerns and are directing
the power of technology at finding solutions to the problem.
Discussion Questions
1.
In what ways do information systems negatively affect
the environment? Are there positive effects as well? If so,
what are they?
2.
What can be done to minimize the effect of data centers
on the environment?
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Consider our rapidly growing dependence on data cen-
ters. What is the risk of this dependence on our society?
2.
How might the geography of our planet change if the
growth of data centers continues increasing? Will there
come a time when the growth levels out?
SOURCES:
Bushell, Sue, “British Government Turns Green,” CIO, December
20, 2007,
www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;1300344377.
Levine, Barry, “Data Cen-
ter Study Looks at Global Trends,” Top Tech News, December 14, 2007,
www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=57242.
Brodkin, Jon, “Server
electricity use doubled from 2000 to 2005,” itWorld Canada, December 10,
a23d-0732d23c5e40.html.
Mullins, Robert, “Bush signs law to study data cen-
ter energy usage,” Computerworld, December 22, 2006,
command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9006698.
Gittlen, Sandra, “Data center
land grab: How to get ready for the rush,” Computerworld, March 12, 2007,
command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012963.
Mellor, Chris, “Sun to set up
underground data center to save on power,” Computerworld, November 16,
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