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IT Sustainability Glossary
Antimony A metal used in batteries and pipes.
Carbon footprint Calculation of an individual organization's impact on the environment, measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Carbon neutral To be carbon neutral is to balance the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by a particular activity -- like flying, driving or operating a data center -- with an equal amount of carbon sequestration or carbon offsets from a third party. To be considered carbon neutral, an individual or organization must reduce its carbon footprint to zero.
Clean computing Clean computing is when an organization's manufacture, use and disposal of IT equipment do not produce any harmful waste at any stage. Non-hazardous materials are used in chip construction and packaging.
Compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) A CFL is a fluorescent light bulb that has been compressed into the size of a standard-issue incandescent light bulb. Modern CFLs typically last at least six times as long and use at most a quarter of the power of an equivalent incandescent bulb. According to Arthur Rosenfeld, a physicist and member of the California Energy Commission, "If every home in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), the energy saved would prevent greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road."
Dioxins Organic pollutants and known carcinogens that work their way up the food chain, posing a threat both to wildlife and to people. Dioxins can be formed during the manufacture or incineration of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), in the process of chlorine-bleaching paper and as a byproduct of herbicide manufacturing.
Economizer An economizer is a mechanical device used to reduce energy consumption. Economizers are commonly used in data centers to complement or replace cooling devices like computer room air conditioners (CRACs) or chillers. Economizers can save data center operators money by taking advantage of cooler outside temperatures to cool IT equipment inside a facility. According to GreenerComputing.org, economization has the potential to reduce annual cooling energy consumption costs by more than 60 percent.
E-cycling E-cycling is the practice of reusing, or distributing for reuse, electronic equipment and components rather than discarding them at the end of their life cycle. Often, even non-functioning devices can be refurbished and resold or donated.
ENERGY STAR ENERGY STAR is a government-backed labeling program that helps people and organizations save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying factories, office equipment, home appliances and electronics that have superior energy efficiency. Most new desktop and notebook computers, game consoles, and servers now come with the ENERGY STAR label. (On the Energy Star Web site, www.energystar.gov, you can search for Energy Star-qualified products.) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that, if all computers sold in the United States meet the ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $2 billion each year, and that greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of those from 2 million cars.
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) EPEAT is a ranking system that helps purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes.
E-waste E-waste is any refuse created by discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use. The disposal of electronics is a growing problem because electronic equipment frequently contains hazardous substances. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than four million tons of e-waste goes to
Green computing Green computing is the environmentally responsible use of computers and related resources. Such practices include the implementation of energy-efficient central processing units (CPUs), servers and peripherals as well as reduced resource consumption and proper disposal of electronic waste (e-waste).
Green data center A green data center is a repository for the storage, management, and dissemination of data in which the mechanical, lighting, electrical and computer systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact. The construction and operation of a green data center includes advanced technologies and strategies. Building and certifying a green data center or other facility can be expensive up front, but long-term cost savings can be realized on operations and maintenance.
Heavy metals Toxic metals, or metal compounds that negatively affect health and the environment. Some heavy metals include cadmium, lead and mercury.
Hibernate The hibernate mode is used to help conserve energy. This mode allows the computer to save the current state of the system to the hard drive and then power down. When the system is turned back on, the saved information is read from the hard disk, restoring the last used setting.
Landfills Landfills are engineered facilities located, maintained and designed to assure compliance with federal waste disposal laws. Solid waste landfills are located away from eco-sensitive environments to protect them from contaminants in water, land and air. Often, they collect hazardous waste and gas emissions to be converted into alternative energy sources.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED is a standard associated with green building and green construction developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for how green, efficient, and environmentally-friendly a building is. Green building refers to the design, construction, and operation of buildings in an environmentally friendly way. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, waste handling, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED has various levels associated with it, depending on the number of points you earn as you do your building project: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. For example, buildings that are LEED Platinum buildings will do things such as taking aggressive measures to recycle water and generating more energy than they use. Citicorp recently opened a LEED-certified data center. Find out more about it here.
Power management Power management is a feature included in many electrical appliances (i.e., copiers, computers, monitors, printers) that turns off the power or switches the system to a standby mode when inactive. Power management features can save individuals and organizations substantial energy costs over time. Modern laptops and PCs have integrated power management control panels that allow a user to fine tune how quickly a screen turns off. ENERGY STAR Power Management features are standard in Windows and Macintosh operating systems and place monitors and computers (CPU, hard drive, etc.) into a low-power "sleep mode" after a period of inactivity. Simply touching the mouse or keyboard "wakes" the computer and monitor in seconds. Activating sleep features saves energy, money, and helps protect the environment.
Sleep An energy-saving mode that shuts off power to all unecessary components, such as the display screen or disk drive. Once "awakened," the computer returns to it's former operating status.
Telecommuting Telecommuting is working outside the traditional office or workplace, usually at home or in a mobile situation. Telecommuting can reduce greenhouse gases, save gasoline usage and associated purchase costs, and reduce urban traffic congestion.
Thin Client Thin clients connected to terminal servers can save institutions time and money on both hardware and support costs. They can be created from old, "obsolete" PCs or cheap, energy-efficient devices the size of a network jack. Central administration eases maintenance and increases security.
USGBC The USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) is a collection of architects, public policy makers, and designers who work out a ratings system associated with green building. |
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