Benefits of Cloud Computing for the Environment

We all are grateful for the technological advancements those allowed us to succeed in every area of our life. Cloud computing is out of these technologies that (Voorsluys, Broberg, & Buyya, 2011) are not only improving our business but also helping the whole world. Cloud computing services differ from the traditional methods as this makes a single large data portal accessible for multiple businesses. Transitioning to the cloud computing is a very good choice for any business, for a number of reasons. Because, this cloud computing application offers scalability, cost-effectiveness, performance and easy mobile access. In this way, this essay will focus on the environmental impacts of cloud computing in the present era as well as in future (Wild, 2016). In this context great personality Mr Steve Jobs who is the late chairman of Apple, quoted “I do not require a hard disk in my computer if I can get to the server faster and carrying around the non-connected computers is byzantine by comparison.”

For the organizations utilizing cloud storage and services, it is also vital to consider the environmental impacts of the cloud services. They must compare cloud computing services to their traditional IT practices in order to affect the environment at least level. Cloud computing services offer several environmental benefits for the cost reduction as well as business users’ convenience (Berl, et al., 2010). Coming to the environmental benefits of cloud computing, there are many areas where cloud computing has proved itself a much greener method of working (Marinescu, 2017).

Being an energy efficient way of working, cloud computing is providing huge benefits to our environment. Even when providing high average data server utilization rate of local premised data centres, cloud computing consumes less energy (Proserve IT, 2018). Therefore, combination of high energy efficiency as well as higher utilization rate usually provides an average energy saving of 84 per cent (Johnson, 2016). Additionally, cloud computing is environmental friendly because it allows remote working from anywhere in the world. Employees of any company can work from home, which uses less energy as the users do not need to utilise transport daily and hence the energy costs of lighting, heating, basic activities in offices can be reduced. As we know that traditional offices on an average uses a minimum of 10,000 sheets of paper per year. In this way, cloud computing is not only more efficient compared to digital systems, but also it gives a vast environmental impact in the terms of the energy required for creating paper (Wild, 2016). When paper is used in offices then it creates waste both from the manufacturing process as well as the physical waste containing discarded papers documents, disposal problem of those papers is also get eliminated from the environmental friendly viewpoint. Moreover, the CEO of VMare, Mr Paul Maritz quoted that “Cloud is all about the way you do computing, not where you do computing.” Therefore, cloud computing services is providing digital equivalents of info storage, documents creation, record keeping and communication, and it is an easier way for businesses for going paperless and grab the benefits of working on cloud (Wild, 2016).

Negative Impacts of Cloud Computing on the Environment

Recent data from researchers has shown that after shifting public to cloud, a large enterprise can minimize up to thirty thousand metric tons of CO₂ emission. Furthermore, in this context, the Carbon Disclosure Project (referred as CDP) has reported that by the era 2020, founding cloud computing servers can take off the burden of around 85.7 million metric tons of CO₂ emission which is a big number for an eco-friendly globe. Moreover, Google research studies predicted that firms can save up to sixty to eighty five per cent of the energy expenses through moving onto cloud computing services (Wild, 2016).

On the other hand, it is also an important aspect to consider the negative impacts of the cloud computing on the environment through the businesses involved in cloud computing. The major environmental impact of the cloud computing is the extent of energy it usually takes to run as well as maintain the large data centres. On account for the large data centres comprise thousands of servers, and all of them ought to be powered on 24/7 in order to ensure their clients are able to access their data at all the times. For that energy requirements and costs of every data center is considerable. Besides, the data servers need cooling system to compensate the continue heat generated by them, that also has an enormous energy requirement (Schmidt, 2010).

Thus, in spite of leaving cloud computing utilization, we can make the cloud greener through many ways include energy consumption management, utilizing green measurement tools like eGRID and CLEER and evolution to quantum computing. In order to make cloud greener and eco-friendly, companies need to adopt effective schemes for reducing the energy consumption from the data hubs. In this context, the Green Grid is an institution of IT companies and performers who are attempting in the direction of reducing energy consumption at cloud computing centres worldwide by using renewable energy sources to run their data servers (Dillon, Wu, & Chang, 2010). Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (referred as eGRID) is founded by USA to generate a report which includes emission rate, net generation, and resource mix as well as air emissions by each of the data center. Moreover, a potential step for making the cloud greener is the life-scale utilization of quantum computing that would eventually allow quantum bytes to be stowed and processed at various locations concurrently. Hence, this will utilise substantially less extent of energy than by using cloud computing. Icon companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have also shown their concern for environmental impacts of cloud computing and reduced amount of water usage from their data centres with the help of innovatively designed air-cooling system (Johnson, 2016).

Mitigating Negative Impacts of Cloud Computing

In conclusion, cloud computing is not only benefitting the companies but also the carbon emissions are getting minimized in a number of ways through switching to the cloud servers. While cloud technologies and services allow company providers to build much efficient data centres, at the same time it also reduces their carbon footprints immediately. Moreover, because of the augmented pressure on modern era organizations of making huge profits, they usually forget to see at the environmental aspects of the cloud computing. Hence, in order to make the business success, all business decisions must also consider social as well as environmental responsible factors. In this context, numerous offices are having a green policy which aims to minimize their environmental impacts in the terms of energy utilization, use of paper, as well as pollution and waste. Yet there are so many small, medium and large sized firms are requiring Green policy implementation at their premises so that global public can leverage the positive environmental impacts of cloud computing rather than negative consequences. Moreover, cloud computing is having enormous potential for transforming the globe of IT through reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and business dexterity as well as contributing to a sustainable globe. This discussion concludes that cloud computing can reduce a considerable carbon emissions for biggest business applications presently and it will continue to evolve the world in the future also.

For the sustained future, recommendations from the writer’s viewpoints include effective server utilization, improved data center efficiency, and adopting eGRID and CLEER tools will considerably reduce the bad impacts of cloud computing from the present as well as future environment (Berl, et al., 2010). Additionally, companies those are adopting cloud computing will grow the huge business benefits of the cloud computing technologies as well as they will also play a major role in making information technology more sustainable in future by suggestively decreasing the energy consumption by their cloud data servers. In this way we can recommend the cloud storage for future and present as well with the help of quotations “Cloud computing is not only the future of computing, but the present and the entire past of computing.” given by Larry Ellison.

References

Berl, A., Gelenbe, E., Di Girolamo, M., Giuliani, G., De Meer, H., Dang, M., & Pentikousis, K. (2010). Energy-efficient cloud computing. The computer journal, 53(7), 1045-1051.

Dillon, T., Wu, C., & Chang, E. (2010). Cloud computing: issues and challenges. Advanced Information Networking and Applications (AINA), 2010 24th IEEE International Conference, IEEE, 27-33.

Johnson, K. (2016, 11 21). Cloud Storage Environmental Impact. Retrieved from Spin Backup: https://spinbackup.com/blog/cloud-storage-environmental-impact/

Marinescu, D. (2017). Cloud computing: theory and practice. England: Morgan Kaufmann.

Proserve IT. (2018, 06 07). GREEN CLOUD COMPUTING: WHY SWITCHING TO CLOUD IS MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY. Retrieved from Proserve IT: https://www.proserveit.com/environmental-impact-green-cloud-computing/

Schmidt, S. (2010, 04 30). The dark side of cloud computing: soaring carbon emissions. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/apr/30/cloud-computing-carbon-emissions

Voorsluys, W., Broberg, J., & Buyya, R. (2011). Introduction to cloud computing. Cloud computing: Principles and paradigms, 1(1), 1-41.

Wild, M. (2016, 11 25). What’s the Impact of Cloud Computing on the Environment? Retrieved from Circle ID: https://www.circleid.com/posts/20161125_what_is_the_impact_of_cloud_computing_on_the_environment/