21267291_46051794I emitted an audible “uh oh” when I read the recent Times Online article regarding the environmental impact of Google searches. Time to make some popcorn and grab a good seat to watch the fight.

I consider myself to be an environmentalist. I participate in activities such as camping, hiking, and scuba diving that are enhanced by a unscathed environment. I want my children, and my children’s children to enjoy clean water, mature trees, and a bountiful ecosystem. At the same time I want my children to be able to enjoy the luxuries and efficiencies that technologies provide.

So here is the question I would ask the proponents of this environmental study: What was the environmental impact of knowledge acquisition before Google? My gut tells me that Google has significantly decreased the environmental impact of knowledge acquisition. In the past people may have traveled to multiple libraries or research institutions to find knowledge. Maybe they had to fly oversees to visit museums. Or they wrote messages to companies on dead wood using something called “a pen”. Okay, you get the point.

Information providers and the datacenters they live in will become big targets for the carbon-credit crowd. Those providers better start preparing for the coming battle.