“지속 가능한 발전은 우리 모두가 원하는 미래로 가는 길입니다. 그것은 경제 성장을 창출하고, 사회 정의를 달성하고, 환경 책임을 행사하고, 거버넌스를 강화하기 위한 프레임워크를 제공합니다.” 반기문 전 유엔 사무총장의 말이다. 글쎄, 그는 확실히 옳지만 우리는 이러한 용어를 알고 있습니까? 사실을 직시하자, 우리는 이러한 조건을 달성하기 위해 개별적으로 기여해야 할 때 이러한 용어가 의미하는 바를 알지 못합니다.
글쎄, 새로 시작하기에 너무 늦지 않았습니다! 지속 가능한 IT는 IT 제품 및 인프라의 환경 영향을 줄일 수 있는 방법입니다. 그렇게 함으로써 조직은 비용을 절감하고 사회적 책임에 대한 헌신도 보여줄 수 있습니다. 그린 컴퓨팅은 전반적인 성능을 유지하거나 개선하면서 컴퓨팅 및 정보 기술 리소스를 효율적으로 사용하는 데 중점을 둔 트렌드 관행 중 하나입니다. 이제 친환경 컴퓨팅에 대해 알아봅시다!
그린 컴퓨팅이란 무엇입니까?
출처: acecloudhosting.com
이에 대한 고정된 정의는 없지만 다양한 조직과 고위 인사들이 이 용어의 여러 측면에 대해 계몽했습니다. 더 넓은 의미에서 이것은 우리가 환경에 부정적인 영향을 미치지 않는 방식으로 컴퓨팅 장치 및 주변 장치를 설계, 사용 및 폐기하는 관행입니다.
그린컴퓨팅을 정확하게 구현하기 위해서는 크게 4가지 영역에 집중해야 합니다. 그들은:
1. 디자인
초기 단계는 항상 가장 어려운 단계이며 목적에 맞는 회로나 장치를 설계하는 것은 여전히 가장 어려운 작업입니다. 그러나 전문가들은 많은 디자인을 성공적으로 제공했으며 그들의 작업 모델은 성능을 발휘하고 있습니다.
2. 제조
제조 장치는 "그린 컴퓨팅"이라는 용어가 만들어지기 훨씬 전에 설치되었으며 이를 업그레이드하려면 막대한 투자가 필요합니다. 하지만 손익 너머를 바라며 제조 시설을 친환경적으로 만들기 위해 노력하는 몇몇 회사가 있습니다.
3. 사용
장치가 아무리 최적화되더라도 현명하게 사용하지 않으면 지속 가능한 IT를 얻을 수 없습니다. 이것은 에너지를 절약하고 우리의 행동이 대자연을 방해하지 않는지 확인하는 것이므로 우리 모두는 몇 가지 조치를 취하고 기여할 수 있습니다. Merely switching off the light switch is accountable, so you can easily play your part.
4. Disposal
We all use a specific device only for a specific time, and then we decide to replace it either because it is not working properly or you admire something new. Well, if we do not take proper measures and dispose according to the instructions given, then we are possibly making an unforgivable mistake as the circuits embedded in these devices have silicon and several radioactive elements.
Government of various countries often come forward and regulate their policies so that they are not lagging in any aspect.
Why Do the Experts Ask Us to Focus More On Green Computing?
Apart from moral responsibility, there are several other reasons because of which the professionals claim that it is need of the hour and we need to act accordingly. If we fail to do so, there will be consequences and mitigating those will be as hard as nailing a jelly to the wall. We have listed down a few of the many factors below. Take a read.
Source: zew.de
To Reduce Energy Consumption
The main idea behind implementing this concept is that we can save energy because the raw material that we use for energy generation are non-conventional. We’ll have to find alternatives soon if we don’t want to live the lifestyle of early man again. Every unit of energy saved is equivalent to energy generated and will give us a day to upgrade our energy generation techniques. Although we have a plethora of devices that are capable of using the conventional energy source either to operate or to convert it according to the device, they have yet not gained popularity. If we want to save ourselves from the hustle and bustle of the last minute, we’ll have to start thinking and acting from now on! Without energy, we won’t survive now!
Manage Computing Waste Properly
What happens when one of the computer peripherals stops giving its best performance? We think of replacing it in a jiffy! We buy the new product and just dump the outdated one in the dustbin. We don’t even think about recycling, and if the garbage collectors are irresponsible, they’ll take these gadgets along with other household wastes. What we do not realize is that our unplanned dumping of wastes is eventually degrading the quality of soil. The reason behind this is that every component in the peripheral is not good for our environment and may have an adverse effect on mother nature. This may even make the soil infertile! Let’s not forget that we grow our food from soil and even if we are entirely non-vegetarian, our food needs the byproducts of soil.
To Minimize Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse effect and ruptured ozone layer are giving the environmentalists nightmares from a very long time and if we don’t keep a check on our actions, those nightmares might become a reality soon. We are struggling to cope with increasing temperature, melting glaciers, and what not. There is already too much on our plate and we are not able to find feasible solutions for them, we are definitely not yet prepared for more.
There are several other reasons as well, but instead of focusing on the problems, we should come up with the solutions and start imbibing them in our day-to-day life. As the experts are working on this continuously, they have found a few solutions, and we expect that this may pacify the adversity in the upcoming days.
What Are the Recent Implementations That Use the Concept of Green Computing?
Yes, we are still not entirely ready to adapt the green computing practices, but a few of them can be practiced without any hassle. To know about them, go through the points given below:
Cloud Computing
Source: global-visiontech.com
This has become an integral part of our lives these days! We are using the cloud for storage, software, and other services. Cloud computing has been adapted by most of the organizations and individuals because of its amazing features. This has helped in reducing the power consumption considerably as we do not have to maintain the temperature dissipated from the system and its peripherals. We just need a cooling system that is capable enough to cool down the basic system with an Internet connection.
Zonbu Computer
Gregoire Gentil, the founder of Zonbu computer might have never estimated this, but his creation was one of the “greenest” desktop computer. It is equipped with 512MB RAM, 4GB flash drive, and has other features that are below average when compared to the computers available now. It claims to be smaller, quitter, and dissipates small amount of heat. The people who just need a computer for basic use can opt for this one. However, the advanced features have yet not been introduced in this which makes it unsuitable or majority of users across the world.
Virtualization
It’s a practice of creating a virtual version of something that is required by your computing device instead of physically deploying the system. By doing so we can efficiently complete the task without actually investing in the device or the gadget. A major issue which is encountered by almost every IT firm is that they work on x86 processor which can only run one operating system and application. With virtualization, we can easily increase the efficiency.
Blackle
Source: inhabitat.com
For those, who do not know what it is, it is just a search engine like Google. The experts say that it saves a significant amount of energy as the predominantly black. Some experts claim that not much energy is saved, but we believe otherwise. Small amounts will add up and help us save notable amount.
Another reason why we recommend you use Blackle is that each time you’ll see black screen, you’ll be reminded to take small steps to achieve sustainable IT
Sun Ray Thin Client
This is one of the popular products released by Oracle. It consumes ultra-low power that is only 4 Watts. As it was designed for security and performance, it
can be configured to use cryptographic smart cards and need two-step verification to access the existing sessions. As this is a popular product, you can read forum answers FAQs, call toll free numbers to get help and its wide clientele will definitely have answers to your queries.
These are a few things suggested, but are these feasible? How can we attain sustainable IT individually? To know, read further.
What Individuals Efforts Can We Take to Contribute to This?
Well, there are many more ways in which we can contribute, but if we focus on small things instead of thinking about revolution, we can actually contribute much. So, we’ll not ask you to carry out in-depth research on this, but follow a few things that are given below:
Use Cloud Computing and Virtualization Unless It Hampers Your Work
We do not work on a highly classified project and that can be easily accomplished on a standard computer as well. Using these two, you can give a boost to your workstation without investing a fortune on it.
Do Not Dump Your E-wastes Improperly
You never throw glass pieces with the vegetable wastes, do you? Then why do you dump the devices that might have radioactive elements as if they are french fries? There are several organizations that are helping people to manage their e-wastes, you can always take help from them.
Before Buying Any Product, Take A Look at The Energy Star Rating
You always consider the RAM, ROM, screen size, processors and what not when you are buying your cell phone. We recommend the same amount of dedication while buying the electronic and computing devices. This will save your expenses in long run as they reduce the electricity bill and will have longer life than the cheap ones.
Put Your PC or Laptop on Sleep Mode When Not Using
It may surprise you but this saves significant amount of energy and emits less amount of carbon-dioxide. By doing so, you can reduce the bill of 2 billion dollars and carbon-dioxide.
These were a few things that you can do to contribute. We don’t know what future holds for us. With the development of AI machines and chat bots, we might have to compete with robots like in the movies, but we’ll have to remain alive for that! Practicing green computing for sustainable IT will ensure that we at least live to witness the “Judgement Day.” Till then, go green!