What is Digg?74 Comments
- kettlechips, on 11/28/2007, -1/+58I remember when Google was a search engine.
- johnhummel, on 11/28/2007, -1/+37What's interesting is that Google may not be doing this just because "it's a good thing to do".
Look at the cost of oil as an energy source. If Google goes mainly green, they can achieve - at a high initial cost - a fairly constant energy supply (balanced between wind/solar/other). However, they won't be beholden to the price of oil on the marketplace.
Other industries who don't make the move will have to take into their financial analysis what the cost of oil will do for transportation, running server farms, etc. In the long run, Google can avoid that, and have a competitive edge over their rivals. Even if the price of oil should drop (not likely save for short spurts), they can still take advantage of the tax breaks and good image. It's a win/win for them. - TwoKill, on 11/28/2007, -2/+34Everyone should be as, "Not Evil," as google, really the world would become a better place.
- bzaks, on 11/28/2007, -1/+19Just out of curiousity, does anyone else get the feeling Google is going to take over the world?
- jj101, on 11/28/2007, -0/+11Thats a great point. The power requirements of massive data centres must represent a significant cost to Google. This kind of vertical integration could reap massive rewards for Google in the future and boost their image considerable in todays green-conscious society.
I think this is a fantastic initiative and I hope they do very well. Some of the most interesting, unexpected and positive news I have read in a long time. - JudgeWinchester, on 11/28/2007, -3/+14Praise Google, they also gave big dollars to Nanosolar.
- ryan850, on 11/28/2007, -0/+10I remember when Lycos and Excite were search engines...
- BrandNewJesus, on 11/28/2007, -1/+10Is there such thing as a Google fan boy?
I may be turning into one. - JonFugeEveryone, on 11/28/2007, -1/+9The government would just screw it up because the representatives are not qualified for the job. The ethanol corn subsidies come to mind.
- ImWatchingYou, on 11/28/2007, -2/+9Google was never a number. A googol is though.
- toecutter169, on 11/28/2007, -1/+8Or how about using their considerable influence to help expand the use of alternative energy supplies.
- joshua5, on 11/28/2007, -0/+6I'm confident it'd be a much better world than the one run by our current overlords.
- inactive, on 11/28/2007, -5/+11Any Green Initiative is most welcome.
- khyberkitsune, on 11/28/2007, -0/+6No, you invest in the company Google dumped ***** of money on back in 2002, nanosolar.
- jj101, on 11/28/2007, -0/+6Vertical integration. You may have learned about in economics 101. This is a strategy by which companies increase the control they have over their product by ensuring control of the suppliers/distributers up/downstream from their main industry. In this case Google are clearly expecting/experiencing fluctuations in the price of power. Their data centres, as you indicated, use a lot of power so this makes perfect business sense.
Turning off those servers represents a step backward for our society. That is tantamount to saying we have a problem and we can't solve it so we are going to give up. Google are saying, we have a problem and we are going to try and solving going forward.
Aside from this, as toecutter says, this is hopefully a good thing for more people than just Google shareholders. - jj101, on 11/28/2007, -0/+6Or maybe glasses for the short-sighted...
- zennode, on 11/28/2007, -3/+8Go google!!
- cplusplus, on 11/28/2007, -9/+14Might be a good idea of our government to do this too.
(Instead of invading Iraq) - govsucks, on 11/28/2007, -0/+4Thank goodness for free companies in the free market. You wouldn't see guys starting things like google in their garage and doing the things they are doing if society made the choices of what ideas to go with instead of individuals. (Repost from duplicate thread above)
- BlazinEurasian, on 11/28/2007, -0/+4Seems so far like it wouldn't be a bad thing.
- purplepeople, on 11/28/2007, -1/+5it must be amazing, because it made the front page of digg three times simultaneously.
- newprohibition, on 11/28/2007, -2/+5If you want to save the planet invest in Google's Stock now.
- BlazinEurasian, on 11/28/2007, -1/+4Anyone else have a burning desire to work for Google?
- cyborg, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2"Ohh Bill the power went out again, you'd better call Google."
I'd trust Google actually, how many times out of the years has their website been down? Or any of their services for that matter. Gmail works every time. Hopefully the same will happen as they move towards the energy industry. - elijahalcantara, on 11/28/2007, -1/+3Green Lantern ... ?
- kaptainkranium, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2In what seems like the world's darkest hour, it is good to know the superhero who steps up is as rich as Google.
- jj101, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Apple and Microsoft are hardware and software manufacturers respectively. I would imagine that Google far surpasses their power usage. But I realise that's not really your point.
The article quotes a Google rep as saying:
"There has been tremendous work already on renewable energy"
and
"With talented technologists, great partners and significant investments, we hope to rapidly push forward."
So they are utilizing existing research. Much of the existing research is being done by companies who are currenlty making billions in the existing power generation industry. They have the incentive to perform this rsrch for the future. Maybe Google are thinking a little more short term.
Its interesting to me that many of the great scientific breakthroughs have come from the application of knowledge learnt in one field to another entirely separate filed. heres hoping... - Emray, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2I think that Wal-Mart should start doing stuff like this-they should put wind turbines on all their stores or something. It is such a good idea for big corporations to invest in good causes-it definitely makes an impact on their public perception.
- AlexDenne, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1I get the feeling that TESCO is going to take over the world..... the UK equivalent of WAL-MART but worse...... they're filthy...
- FiendishMuffin, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1I've always felt the US Government doesn't spend enough on energy research and space exploration (among other things). It seems like Google is two for two in my book and it gives me hope that the private sector will pick up the slack from our government's irresponsible and bloated spending priorities.
- DirtySnachez, on 11/28/2007, -1/+2You're talking like a GLP theorem is a bad thing.
- DirtySnachez, on 11/28/2007, -1/+2I would have to add an A for Apple too, although I don't have hard stats to compare actual usage - searching for Linux brings back 2106 pages of results, but Apple doubles that with 4125 pages. You seem like a cool guy, why are you getting dugg down ?
- kevinsboy, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/1708.aspx
wouldn't you know - agentVivid, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1the big brother i've always wanted...
- bradlikeme, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1this is the same site as gewgle.com right?
- joshua5, on 11/28/2007, -1/+2I heart Google.
- stoanhart, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Are they publicly traded?
- rarson, on 11/29/2007, -0/+1Google is just thinking forward. Good for them.
- khyberkitsune, on 11/29/2007, -0/+1Go to nanosolar's website and see if they're publically traded yet. Or you can just volunteer to invest in them, usually they don't have an issue with that.
- dandonia, on 11/29/2007, -0/+1i couldnt care less if google profit from this, the way i see it is they are doing a good thing for mankind and if they end up running the world because of it
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all hale google - woj16, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Does it seem like Digg is full of green activists?
- sering, on 11/22/2008, -0/+1that's nice
http://ekkei.com
http://forexposed.com
http://tembol.freehostia.com/ - larcher01, on 11/29/2007, -0/+0er... that would be "can't" as in the government "can't" run anything efficiently! (ooops!)
- sandygmaharaj, on 11/28/2007, -2/+2No...but duggers do not see anything beyond GLP(Google/Linux/Pr0n)
- larcher01, on 11/29/2007, -0/+0Frankly I applaud Google's efforts, and think that this is a sharp stick in the eye of folks who want the rich to "pay their fair share". The Google guys are doing some great stuff with their new-found wealth. Ther are a lot more examples like this too. So, let market forces do the research - the government can run anything efficiently.
http://www.eradicatedcarbon.com/ - ganlet, on 11/28/2007, -1/+1 Am I the only one who enjoyed the name RE\
- sasbrb, on 11/28/2007, -0/+0Let me recharge my Google car with Google Green Energy. Damn! Just spilled my Googlebucks coffee.
- harmpitt, on 11/29/2007, -0/+0i'd like for google to invest in renewable shrimp tempura because i just can't get enough of that stuff
- nesibus, on 11/28/2007, -4/+4I remember when Google was just a number.
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