Google campus is clean and green

Google calculates that every search that goes through its data centres produces 0.007 ounces of CO2. To put that in perspective, a standard American unit of measure was used: one cheeseburger has the equivalent CO2 output of 15 000 Google searches.

Assuming a relentless capacity to consume burgers at a rate of 150 a year, the average American eats the CO2 equivalent of 2.25 million Google searches per year. The average US household’s electricity consumption is the equivalent of 3 100 000 searches.

Green Innovation

The Google campus is the hub of innovation for the technology firm, but the company still takes the time to make sure all that innovation has as little impact on the environment as possible.

A recent Google blog post highlights the ‘green’ initiatives the company has taken.

A shuttle service carts employees around the Bay Area to the Googleplex each day. The shuttles run on B20 biodiesel. Employees who prefer to use their own biologically powered propulsion methods will have a donation made to a charity of their choice as a reward for their energy savings.

9 212 photovoltaic solar panels cover the roofs, producing 1.6 MW of electricity, which is apparently enough to power 1 000 California homes. The buildings are constructed from environmentally friendly materials which will never end up in a landfill.

Every now and then, a team of 200 goats is moved in to graze away the overgrown grass and weeds in the fields around the Googleplex. The goats take about a week to complete the job, and conveniently fertilise the fields as they go along.

Google keeps eight plug-in hybrids which can be freely used by employees to run errands around town. Google claims the vehicles consume 3.1 litres of fuel per 100km. Bicycles are kept around the complex, so employees can move around the buildings without the need for motor vehicles.

Food waste from the cafeterias is also composted and disposable plates and cutlery are also compostable.

So next time you are eating a cheeseburger, bear in mind all of the hard work Google has put in to ensure that your yearly searches probably won’t produce more CO2 than was created in making your lunch.