How green is the Internet?

Doesn't really say that much does it?

Email and calendar apps can't be that demanding resource wise. The indexing might be. File servers and email can be kept on a low power set-up on the LAN. I can understand the reticence about putting these up in the cloud.

I've never had a connection that I'd be happy enough to rely on to go all out to the cloud, but like the low power client, shared server model.

I'd have thought though that if people were serious about saving energy, they could do a few simple things (I've seen so many places squandering energy):

People could use heating systems more efficiently - not heat the building with the windows open!

People leave their computers on all night long even with modern OSs that can suspend or hibernate easily or even cold boot quickly. They don't even set them up to sleep - the default energy management policies under their OSs could be better. People don't change them, they use high calory screen savers and eschew sleeping them. It just doesn't seem to be a concern.

Most in house servers and workstations probably could just be turned off for 14hrs each day with no consequence. A community building that hosted many charities I worked in proposed pulling the electric to the offices at night as an energy saving exercise but met a lot of resistance. Why?

Web browser tabs could be closed, or fully backgrounded by using bookmarks. Or apps could be managed better.

Monitors could be turned off.

Phone chargers and transformers could be switched off fully while not used.

Less water in kettles, and or insulated kettles.

No disposable cups, or plastic packaging in the canteens that just gets dumped.

There's a lot of hot wind. Some people want to be green, but don't take any ownership themselves - I do a little recycling, drive a Prius and use Gmail - isn't really going green.

It's nice to finally see some inroads in some OSs like Windows 8 regarding energy management, why has this taken so long though?

I'd love to see more people remote working, particpating in online meetings etc, at least it would lighten the load off the roads.

Watching Al Gore jet setting all over the globe with his green message doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.