A Challenge to Facebook - Use Renewable Energy

Last February, Facebook announced it was building its first data center, in Prineville, Oregon, in the northwest of the US. It will be a massive data centre, which is packed full of the latest energy efficient computers to serve the hundreds of millions of friends connecting on their near-addictive social networking website. Unfortunately, it was soon found out that they plan to operate the place with energy from Pacific Power, a utility fueled primarily by coal.

Coal contributes the largest share of CO2 emissions globally, while also contributing to increased asthma, acid rain, and mortality from other pollutants. The decision by Facebook to choose a utility company primarily powered by coal over other cleaner sources of energy is a missed opportunity. The company can be another mover and shaker to strike a blow against this dirty fuel and drive a clean energy economy.

The IT industry is obviously a great platform in the advancement of technologies leading to sustainability. This industry holds many of the keys to reaching climate goals by innovating internet based solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. Technologies that enable smart grids, zero emissions buildings, and more efficient transport systems are central to efforts to combat climate change. And if you think about it, even the IT industry's global environmental footprint is growing. How the internet is and will be powered is also an important issue for the global community.

Efficiency is only part of the equation in dealing with company footprint. Yahoo! chose a cooler climate in Buffalo, NY for a data center in order to reduce the need for energy intensive cooling systems, but it chose its location based on access to lower carbon hydropower. Google has gone to great lengths to buy wind energy by setting up a subsidiary and investing in a wind farm. Google Energy was recently granted its application to become a wholesale electricity buyer and seller. Google will hopefully use this standing to drive more renewable energy powered data centers.

As Facebook grows further, its energy appetite grows as well. Facebook is already on the right track by investing in energy efficient computers. Some of the new data centers they are building in Oregon may already be using hydro power from dams. But, they can do more.

Greenpeace is calling on Facebook, as well as with other IT companies, to:

* Commit to growing without using dirty coal power;
* Use its purchasing power to choose clean sources of electricity;
* Advocate for strong climate and energy policy changes at the local, national and international level to ensure that as its industry's appetite for energy increases, so does the supply of renewable energy;
* Share this information publicly on its website so its 500 million+ users know the company is a climate leader.

Let us tell Facebook that we love using their social networking website, but we also want them to dump coal. We can use our networks and creativity to spread the word about the campaign. The internet is one of the greatest inventions' ever for creating social change. Let's use it.

Join the campaign here and help get Facebook in a relationship with renewable energy!