By Dr. Jagadindra Raychoudhury

Internet is the most valuable network which flourishes across the globe amidst human race in the present context. The connectivity becomes much easier through the internet and within a fraction of time we are able to send a message whenever we need.

The discovery of internet diminishes all kinds of earlier connectivity through which one sending his message to other. Earlier the internet was running through some lan cable or broadband connection but now many means developed like Dongle, wifi, etc.become easier as well as comfortable than earlier. Various companies are launching their products throughout globe to make connections through internet.

It requires huge amount of electricity power to run internet and this electricity might have produced from fossil fuels or hydroelectric product. It is to be estimated that altogether over 62,500 power plants operating around the world, the balance between global energy production and environmental sustainability has become more crucial than ever before. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have radically increased over the past 100 years. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, emissions increased over 16 times between 1900 & 2008 and 1.5 times between 1990 & 2008. To minimize the use of power from fossil fuels scientists have drawn the importance of using power from a renewable energy.

Simultaneously Google has started to minimize electricty usage in its various centres which has been called 'Carbon Neutral' since 2007. Facebook is also a supporter of "clicking clean" concept and very much commitment of building a green internet within a short period of time. However, individual internet users can make a difference and according to Gary Cook, lead author of the “Clicking clean” study, " you can choose products that are energy efficient, and really think about whether you need a new model every two years. It is also important to encourage concerned companies to do more with renewable energy.

Now a question might arise in our mind that what does "Green Internet "? Green Internet is such connectivity where powers are more used from a renewable energy. According to a company’s spokesperson, "to achieve 100 percent renewable energy usage for the global Amazon Web Services infrastructure footprint". Amazon has joined Apple, Google, Facebook, sales force, Microsoft and other major tech companies working to completely per the internet with renewable energy.

The Internet has completely changed our way of living but on the other hand there has been a significant environmental cost in terms of huge quantity of electricity required to power the data centres. An enormous carbon dioxide emission occurred during the production of electricity by burning fossil fuels. The carbon dioxide and other gases which are the main contributors of climate change. Internet needs a lot of electricity however, more and more people get connected around the world.

If coal, gas and nuclear power fuels lock the world's new digital economy by polluting the environment with emission of various gases then it will be a hazardous one. If we use renewable sources of energy to power the internet process then it can help in the clean-energy revolutions to avoid catastrophic climate change. Thus it is of utmost responsibility of internet companies to join activists in a crucial fight, making the internet green. From million Americans raised their voices and told the government to protect internet neutrally and subsequently it was supported by the biggest companies in the world, like Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix. The internet data centres like Amazon, Facebook, Google,Apple, Salesforce all are committed to powering their centres with 100 percent renewable energy.

One source came in the limelight on the internet's environmental impact in 2014, a study by Greenpeace International, "clicking clean : how companies are creating the green internet " which estimates that the " rapid growth of the cloud and our use of the internet has produced a collective electricity demand that would currently rank in the top if compared alongside countries; that electricity demand is excepted to increase by 60 percent or more by 2020 as the online population and our reliance in the Internet steadily increase."

Greenpeace International concept accelerate many companies to adopt a renewable energy with the "clicking clean" study singling out "size major cloud brands - Google, Apple, Facebook ,Bose , Rackspace and salesforce have committed to a goa of powering data centres with 100% renewable energy and are providing the early signs of the promise and potential impact of a renewably powered internet." Recently Apple has built solar farms and runs all data centres through renewable energy.

Simultaneously Google has started to minimize electricty usage in its various centres which has been called 'Carbon Neutral' since 2007. Facebook is also a supporter of "clicking clean" concept and very much commitment of building a green internet within a short period of time. However, individual internet users can make a difference and according to Gary Cook, lead author of the “Clicking clean” study, " you can choose products that are energy efficient, and really think about whether you need a new model every two years. It is also important to encourage concerned companies to do more with renewable energy.

Any new invention in the scientific world creates a congenial environment where people want to take the full advantage of it but subsequently some side affect might have arose in front of us. Internet is one of the most usable means of connectivity where enormous amount of power is needed. The normal electricity generation not only use vigorously the natural recourses but also constitute change of climate. It will be praiseworthy if these renowned companies exercise their activities through green internet for the betterment of society as well as the human community across the globe.