Google Carbon Emissions

The media is having a field-day exposing research on google as a carbon emission concern.

"Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research."  From times online (hit this for the low-down)

Google responds by comparing a Google search with other daily activities, here's the top of it.

"Our engineers crunched the numbers and found that an average query uses about 1 kJ of energy and emits about 0.2 grams of carbon dioxide. But those raw numbers don't really put the environmental impact of searching the Internet into perspective. To add some context, below is data about the C02 impact of some everyday activities and items compared to Google searching:"

Activity	Google Searches
CO2 emissions of an average daily newspaper (100% recycled paper)	850
A glass of orange juice	1,050
One load of dishes in an EnergyStar dishwasher	5,100
A five mile trip in the average U.S. automobile	10,000
A cheeseburger	15,000
Electricity consumed by the average U.S. household in one month	3,100,000

See Google's post Energy and the Internet.

So how about what's in the technology that powers the Internet?

Here's another real insight into side effects of our technological advancements - Tantalum for example is a super capacitor used in many electronics from mobile phones to servers.    Congo knows all about Tantalum, so do the people that bring our household electronic brand names, consoles, phones, dvd players etc. 

Thanks to a greedy group of individuals we all have blood on our hands already.  Maybe the media would push that as big news?  probably not.