Month: March 2016

Ever think about where all the data on the phone is store in? Where does the cloud really mean? And where do they exist?

I never gave a second thought about where all the information our phone is stored on and what a data center looks like or how it operates. So when I came across this article it was really interesting to find out more about data centers and its environmental impact.

Essentially a data center is a facility used to store computer systems, that’s where all our backed up data is stored. In order to ensure the safety of our data, these centers often are in controlled environments with air conditioning in case something catches on fire or the computers overheat. This air conditioning would be blasted 24/7 for as long as the existence of these centers.

Microsoft has been testing a project called Natick, it’s aimed to decrease the cost of these data centers by moving them into the ocean! Yes, UNDER WATER! By moving them under water, it will not only save a lot of space in terms of warehousing, but also act as a natural cooler system, this would mean huge saving in electricity bills. Find out more! 

Although I do not believe this project is driven with saving the planet in mind, the savings in costs is definitely a factor that drives for innovations in ideas like this. The positive side effect is a bonus, which really proves that innovations driven by cost savings can have positive environmental implications as well. What are some other innovations in the industry that you can think of? Do you think this could be applied to other applications apart from data centers?

I can across this article while I was browsing the Environment column on Global News’ website. Interestingly, it outlines some of the problems that China is facing with it’s economy and the environmental impact that it has brought. However, it also provided some of the changes that China is starting to make. Including restructuring its economy away from heavily polluting companies to create more room for “good companies” to develop and focus on technological innovation.

Thinking back to some of the articles in the past about China’s environmental situation, all I could remember was “A Chinese artist vacuumed up Beijing’s smog for 100 days and made a brick from what he collected” or “Breathing in Beijing’s air is the equivalent to smoking FORTY cigarettes a day”. This comes across as a major concern, and actions are needed to turn this around.

Although China has been an industry heavy focused economy and has traded the environmental impact of these activities for profit, it is realizing that there needs to be change. This is reflected through the signing of the Paris agreement late last year, China claims victory — and a major leadership role — in the global agreement on climate change. In case you wanted to find out more details about the UN Climate Change Conference that was held in Paris here’s an interesting little recap!

 

On another note, more and more companies are taping into the encironmental issues in China and turning it into profits. My friend is currently on her second CO-OP term with Origins Technology a company that creates “products to monitor and improve the environment around us”. Needless to say there is a huge market in China right now for products that can improve environment, we hear about companies selling bottled Canadian air to China, and Chinese citizens buying imported products for their kids.

Despite the changes that are taking place, the article outlined some problems that needs to resolved within the government. Some local governments are “still leery of enforcing environmental laws in favour of boosting economic growth in their areas.”

What do you see in China’s environmental future?

After class on Wednesday I went on Netflix and finished watching The True Cost and cried. We get so caught up in consumption and buying the next new thing, we rarely pause to think of the impact on the environment. Our mind has been wired to accept that a shirt should just cost $5 and that’s what we are only willing to pay for.

Something that the organic cotton farmer, who lost her husband to brain cancer, said really resonated with me. We care so much about the health food industry and what the chemicals we consume can do to our body, but we don’t think twice about what the chemicals are doing to our largest organs – our skin! I have always seen myself as a more conscious shopper, looking at the martial of the clothes I buy, however, this just gives me a whole new perspective on things.

Last summer I was interning at an American factory in one of the more industry heavy cities in China. For about 2-3 weeks I did not see the sun at all. The sky was clouded and smoggy, you can almost feel the pressure of the particles on your body.

On one of my rotations in the warehouse, I met a co-worker who used to work in a factory that produced IPhones. Underage workers were common, he said, in fact, there was a girl who died on the shift because she was too sick and the manager didn’t give her a break.

 

I look down at my new IPhone and all the clothes I don’t need in my closest and I am ashamed.

A cute little take on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Clothes 🙂