Data from Facebook, published on Wednesday, shows that despite the social networking’s rising star, its carbon emissions are still a fraction of internet rival Google. Facebook’s annual emissions were 285,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2011, compared with Google’s 1.5m tons in 2010. [Guardian]
The data, published on Wednesday, shows that despite the social networking’s rising star, its carbon emissions are still a fraction of internet rival Google. Facebook’s annual emissions were 285,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2011, compared with Google’s 1.5m tons in 2010.
The vast majority of the emissions (72%) come from the company’s data centres in the US. The annual footprint for each user that’s active monthly is 269 grams, or around the equivalent footprint of a cup of coffee, the company calculated.
Facebook also detailed the mix of energy sources that power its data centres. The majority, 27%, comes from coal power, with the rest coming from renewable sources (23%), gas (17%), nuclear (13%) and the remaining 20% uncategorised.
National and state health officials are increasingly concerned about the growing number of West Nile virus cases being reported across America, including in Louisiana. More illnesses from the virus have been reported in 2012 than any year since 2004. [WWLTV]
Preliminary climate data for July shows that many cities across the U.S. experienced record-setting months, with temperatures propelled upwards by a massive area of High Pressure, more popularly known as a Heat Dome, that kept cooling rains at bay. [Climate Central]
Drought, wildfires, hurricanes and heatwaves are becoming normal in America because of climate change, Congress was told on Wednesday in the first hearing on climate science in more than two years. [Guardian]
Two-thirds of likely voters in California believe global warming is a serious threat and 64 percent believe steps need to be taken right now to counter its effects, a poll released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California finds. [Ventura County Star]
Developments in the renewable-energy industry, which has been the subject of U.S. trade actions aimed at products from China, warrant a fresh review by an independent agency, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said. [Businessweek]
The Earth’s ability to soak up man-made carbon dioxide emissions is a crucial yet poorly understood process with profound implications for climate change. [Los Angeles Times]
As electric power was restored across northern India on Wednesday, political jockeying over who was to blame for the widespread blackouts intensified. [Mercury News]