Good News Friday: Google Goes Green

Welcome to the first ever edition of our new Good News Friday series!

We believe that there is more than enough bad news out there having a damaging effect on our thoughts and emotions. Every Friday, we hope to share some news that brightens our moods and enlightens our minds.

Although our modern global connectedness gives us a greater awareness of international news cycles, the world is actually a safer place, a more prosperous place, and there are new stories of optimism all the time.

On the topic of health, mental health is high on our list of priorities. Improve yours by enjoying a weekly (hopefully) dose of Good News.

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Google has reached its goal of using, or offsetting for a combined net total of, 100% renewable electricity.

https://www.blog.google/topics/environment/meeting-our-match-buying-100-percent-renewable-energy/

What’s important to us is that we are adding new clean energy sources to the electrical system, and that we’re buying that renewable energy in the same amount as what we’re consuming, globally and on an annual basis.

– Urs Hölzle | Senior Vice President, Technical Infrastructure at Google

Every search, every click, every “Hey Google..”, every time navigation is used, every time a review is left for a business on Google’s map, every new post on Google+, every new document on Google Drive, the list goes on. Each of these requires Google’s hardware to process data. Processing requires electricity. A LOT of electricity. In 2010 alone, they used 2.26 million megawatt hours of electricity.

Considering how electricity is often generated, the fact that Google is using or offsetting for a combined net total of 100% renewable energy sources for its massive electricity consumption is HUGE.

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