Showing posts with label FB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FB. Show all posts

The Green Facts on Facebook's 10th Birthday

It has been a decade since the social media phenomenon known as Facebook first opened its doors. In that time Facebook has succumbed to public pressure from Greenpeace’s Unfriend Coal campaign and has been moving quickly in a more environmentally sustainable direction.

In addition to greener facilities Facebook hosts a vast assortment of Groups and Facebook pages related to green business, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit activism.

One of the highlights of Facebook's efforts is its new one million square foot Menlo Park Campuses in California that include 10 office buildings. The new campus features a green roof which takes the form of a tree-filled park. Facebook is also seeking LEED (Gold) certification for the new establishments.

In the Spring of 2013, Facebook joined the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge which will assess, design, implement and install infrastructure in support of workforce plug-in electric vehicle charging stations. 

Two of Facebook’s data centers use outside air to keep servers cool and minimize energy needed for cooling. These smart-design features are being partnered with low tech solutions such as employee practices in Menlo Park. These employees are installing recycling and composting bins as well as a host of little things like reusing existing fixtures rather than buying new ones. Half of these employees are taking part in a green transportation program that relies on bikes, car pools and free shuttles.

Not all the news from Facebook is good news. In 2013 the company joined the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a powerful organization that has helped the fossil fuel industry to control state legislatures.

Facebook's worst problem concerns its burgeoning energy use. As documented in the company's annual carbon emissions and energy use report, the company's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased 35 percent in 2012 compared with 2011. In 2012 the carbon intensity per user was about 18 percent higher compared to 2011.

To deal with the growing energy demand from its one billion users, Facebook has ambitious plans to reduce its GHGs and source much of its power from renewable energy. Facebook is building two data centers one in Iowa and one in Sweden that use only renewable power. Facebook is also decreasing emissions from office space, employee commuting and air travel, data center construction, and hardware transportation.

Facebook also teamed up with Apple and Google to force Duke Energy, their electric utility in North Carolina to offer a renewable energy program.

In a forward looking move that saves energy, Facebook is reportedly using Blu-Ray in their newly built data center in Oregon and it may incorporate the feature into other data centers. The technology provides cold storage and is capable of storing 1 petabyte of data in a single cabinet. Blu-Ray disks offers savings of up to 50 percent compared with the hard disks and uses 80 percent less energy than cold storage racks.

© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Greenpeace Campaign is Asking Facebook to Unfriend Coal and Befriend Renewable Energy

Greenpeace has been peacefully defending the planet since 1971, now they are asking Facebook to unfriend coal by Earth Day on April 22, 2011.

Greenpeace has played a pivotal role in huge environment victories including:

- Commercial whaling moratorium
- Ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries
- Bans on dumping radioactive and industrial waste at sea
- 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica
- An end to large-scale high-sea driftnet fishing
- Establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
- Ban on all nuclear weapons testing

Today, the fight to save the planet has grown more serious than ever. The threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster loom large. Greenpeace is actively working to address these and other threats.

Greenpeace's newest campaign is encouraging Facebook to drop coal and commit to 100 percent renewable energy, cutting its carbon footprint and helping in the struggle to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Facebook announced in February 2010 that it is building a massive data centre in Oregon, using the latest energy efficient computers. But the Facebook data center will run on electricity made by burning coal which is the dirtiest source of energy and largest single source of global warming pollution in the world.

Greenpeace wants Facebook to run their massive data-centres on renewable energy, and ‘Unfriend’ dirty coal and dangerous nuclear. Greenpeace also wants to see Facebook be a climate leader and push for strong clean energy and climate policies in the US and around the world.

According to Greenpeace, Facebook uses about 55 percent coal power while Google uses 34 percent and Yahoo uses just 12.7 percent.

Join others in demanding that Facebook commit to stop using coal and choose renewable power for all its servers as soon as possible.

To support this campaign, join Greenpeace's Facebook group and help Greenpeace to get the social networking website to go green. You can also share this post on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Greenpeace is also trying set a Guinness World Record by getting more than 50,000 comments for Renewable Energy in 24hrs on April 13, 2011. Add your comment by simply following the steps below:

1. To comment on this post you must first ‘Like’ Greenpeace's Unfriend Coal Facebook page.

2. Click here to leave comments for Facebook staff, in support of renewable energy.

3. Repeat! You can comment more than once - it is still counted in the record attempt!

4. Share this note on your profile to spread the word among your friends!

Greenpeace is displaying your comments today directly outside FB headquarters in California. The best 50 commenters worldwide will get a ‘Facebook Unfriend Coal t-shirts. For more information on this campaign click here.

UPDATE

Greenpeace International has succeeded in setting a world record for getting the highest number of comments on one of its Facebook pages in a single day. According to an email blast to subscribers/members, the world record consists of no less than 80,000 comments in at least 11 different languages on the Facebook Unfriend Coal page. The initial target of 50, 000 comments was met just 11 hours after the call for posting comments on the page was sent out to members.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Top 20 Green and Sustainable Business Facebook Groups

1. The Green Market Oracle

The Green Market Oracle is one of the top sustainability blogs, its original content covers the convergence of sustainable capitalism and the global environment. it is owned by Richard Matthews, a prolific author and the President of Small Business Consulting. The Green Market Oracle champions the cause of sustainable business and is one of the Web's most comprehensive resources for information and tools on sustainability. Posts address subjects like sustainable positioning, green investing, environmental politics, eco-economics and much more.

2. Sustainable Industries Magazine

Sustainable Industries is intended as a business source for leaders of the New Economy. This group provides news analysis and information for top-level professionals with an interest in green building, renewable energy, cleantech, energy efficiency, organic food, green marketing, finance, investment and more. Their products include, Sustainable Industries Magazine, Sustainable Industries Economic Forums, Webinars, Quarterly Supplements: Green Real Estate Guide, Top 10 Green Building Products Awards, Green Office Guide, Clean Energy Handbook for Business, Sustainable Industries industry-specific monthly e-newsletters.

3. Brighter Planet

Working at the intersection of climate science, information technology, and financial services, Brighter Planet builds tools that deliver carbon intelligence where and when it counts, integrating emissions solutions in surprising places. Helping businesses and individuals manage and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Carbon intelligence solutions for organizations, Emissions integration toolkits for software developers, Clean energy debit and credit cards for individuals.

4. Ceres

Integrating sustainability into capital markets for the health of the planet and its people. Ceres (pronounced “series”) is a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change. Ceres believes in the idea that "information is power." Their cutting-edge reports give investors and companies an early advantage in understanding key business sustainability trends. Insurance and banking sector responses to climate change, electric utilities emissions, fuel economy standards and climate risk disclosure are just a few of the topics they have investigated in recent reports.

5. World Wildlife Foundation

We need to stop damaging our only life support system. A system on which we all depend. We need to share our world with all the other species that live on it. Respectfully. Harmoniously. And we must stop being the cause of their disappearance. Their extinction. We must learn to live with what natural resources are available to us. Our planet. It's all we've ever had, and it's pretty much all we've got left. Yet we already consume more than our planet can sustainably provide. And by 2050 we'll need the output of 2 Earths if we're going to continue living as we do now.

6. Greenpeace USA

Greenpeace has been peacefully defending the planet since 1971. By bringing together activists, supporters and people just like you, they have played a pivotal role in huge wins for the environment. Some of their victories over the years include: Commercial whaling moratorium, ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries, bans on dumping radioactive and industrial waste at sea, a 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica, an end to large-scale high-sea driftnet fishing, and the establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. They are now focused combating the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, and deterioration of the oceans.

7. Greenpeace Canada:

Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future.

8. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the netroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals. To safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC is one of the most effective U.S.-based environmental action groups. They use law, science and the support of 1.3 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment. Become a member of NRDC!

9. Planet Green

Planet Green is the multi-platform media destination for people looking for something new. Launched on June 4, 2008, Planet Green is following the evolving conversation about sustainability and is the entertainment brand that champions the visionaries who move our world forward in small and large ways. Planet Green and its two robust Web sites, PlanetGreen.com and TreeHugger.com, offer unique, insightful and inspiring content related to how we can evolve to live a better, brighter future

10. TreeHugger

TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream. Partial to a modern aesthetic, they strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information. They live green, through education and action. TreeHugger offers a wide variety of information and formats from their up to the minute blog, weekly and daily newsletters, weekly video segments, and their weekly radio show.

11. Community Seeds ECO Magazine:

Community Seeds Eco Magazine encourages people to make small changes that they are able to make; changes that would not have been made without a little information and encouragement. They want people to become more socially, environmentally and community conscious. They also want to provide people a way to collaborate with others for a common cause.

12. The Green Library

The Green Library Global Facebook Group is devoted to discussion of significant activities, events, literature, and projects that focus on " ... increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal" of and by libraries.

13. Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Life Media is the leading producer of sustainable business (SB) conferences and educational events, with supporting products and services that include targeted e-newsletters, an online learning resource and community and more. They are here to inspire and support innovation for sustainability by linking people with ideas and solutions that are creating positive change in the global business marketplace. Their mission is to help you and your company catch this enormous wave of new competitive opportunity. They want to paint you a clear picture of what's driving change in today's business landscape; to point you to the innovators and stories of emerging best practices and successes, and to help you learn to be an innovator yourself of more sustainable business strategies, products, and practices.

14. Chelsea Green Publishing

Publishers of renewable energy, sustainable living, organic gardening, and progressive books since 1984. They provide updates on all sorts of interesting information from news to how-tos.

15. Trees Have Rights Too

The Trees Have Rights Too campaign was introduced to the United Nations by Polly Higgins at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. They hope to achieve a Universal Declaration that "trees have rights too".

16. Hotspex

Hotspex is a market research company that works with Fortune 500 companies to help them create better products for the world to enjoy. People take surveys on Hotspex.com and are rewarded with Hotspex BUX that they can spend on prizes or donations to leading charities. A recent Hotspex program in conjunction with the Rainforest Conservation Fund, plants one tree in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest for every survey completed on Hotspex.com.

17. Green Energy News

Green Energy News provides the latest breaking news in renewable energy from government loans, clean tech developments, green products and services to hard hitting environmental topics. Green Energy News is dedicated to informing the public about environmental topics that are extremely significant to today's society. They are of the view that God, who gave humans dominion over the plants and animals of the earth, desires for us to take care of our resources and our fellow brethren as much as they possibly can.

18. Nameless Carbon Offsetting Group

For every 250 people that join this group they donate £10 (or £1 for every 25 that join) to combating climate change. This group supports a Contraction and Convergence (C&C) framework that will solve climate change by forcing governments into international action to reduce their CO2 output. By joining this group you help raise money to solve climate change.

19. Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education. Since its inception in 1984 in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation has proven to be an effective grassroots environmental organization. The Foundation has over 50,000 members (in the U.S.), is represented by 60 national chapters dispersed along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican and Hawaiian coasts, and has branches in 5 foreign countries. What makes Surfrider Foundation unique is its membership made up of surfers, swimmers, bodysurfers, divers, bodyboarders, kayakers and beach

20. Green Festival

At Green Festival™, a project of Green America and Global Exchange, they celebrate what’s working in our communities—for people, business and the environment. Think of Green Festival™ as a walk through a sustainable community. It begins with finding solutions to help make our lives healthier—socially, economically and environmentally. Individuals along with business and community leaders come together to discuss critical issues that impact us at home and abroad.


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