WEBSITES LEAVE A BIG FOOTPRINT. YOU CAN HELP FIX THAT.
Did you know your website is hurting this planet, and you have the power to change that? Not many people consider going green with their website, simply because it’s not tangible. When we work on our website, we draft up a blog post, add a new product or service, and hit publish. Out into the universe it goes. There’s no second thought to where the information is stored or how it could be contributing to our collective carbon footprint.
There are over 1.3 billion websites in the world. To put that into perspective, there are 1.32 billion cars on this planet! As we already know, automobiles account for a large portion of carbon emissions.
When we think about how individuals can reduce their carbon footprint, we think about turning off the lights, buying electric cars, and installing solar panels on our roof. It’s time to start thinking outside the box. Go green with your website!
Where is your website, Physically?
DATA CENTERS ARE MASSIVE BUILDINGS FILLED WITH MASSIVE COMPUTERS
To understand how we can use website hosting to reduce our carbon footprint, we have to know how storage for your website works. When you purchase a web hosting service through a company such as GoDaddy, you’re buying space to store your website’s files. Web browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer access the files and display them for the world to view via your website. These files are stored on servers and housed in massive data centers all over the globe.
These servers are kept in a cooled environment that requires tons of energy. And, you guessed it, adds to our carbon footprint.
According to Forbes, United States data centers require roughly 34 giant coal-powered plants.
Use your website to reduce your carbon footprint!
YOUR USING A HOSTING SERVICE ALREADY, WHY NOT MAKE IT A GREEN HOSTING COMPANY
The good news is, there is something we can do about it. Until more clean energy solutions are available, you can offset your carbon footprint created by your website by choosing an environmentally friendly hosting provider. Green hosting providers work to offset its C02 footprint. There are many hosts to work with, and each one works to offset and reduce their carbon emissions in different ways.
Take a look at how these green hosting companies are helping our environment!
A2 Hosting
A2 has partnered with Carbonfund.org. Based in Ann Arbor(A2) Michigan.
Over the past ten years, A2Hosting’s carbon emissions offset donations
to Carbonfund.org have neutralized almost 2.3 million pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to planting 27,000 tree seedlings and allowing those trees to grow for ten years!
Carbonfund.org is the country’s leading carbon reduction and offset organization. They make it easy for individuals & businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. You can use one of their online calculators to figure out how much your business would need donate to carbonfund.org in order to offset your use.
READ MORE ABOUT A2 Hosting
is one of the most popular green energy hosting providers. California based, and founded in 2008.
They have partnered with BEF, and have been reducing its carbon footprint for 12 years. Powered by 300% clean renewable energy, they host more than 500,000 websites worldwide.
GreenGeeks have partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and purchase three times as much wind energy as they consume with their servers.
Bonneville’s work positively impacts todays environment while also helping solve the sustainability challenges we face. According to their website, BEF empowers your business to be in balance with the environment through a variety of programs that help address your environmental footprint.
READ MORE ABOUT GreenGeeks
MAKE THE MOVE TO GREEN HOSTING
Choosing to opt for a green hosting company is virtually effortless (and I’ll even do the heavy lifting for you when it’s time to make the switch). It has a tremendous, positive impact on our environment and is just one more item you can put on your list of ways to decrease your carbon footprint.
Palila Studio now offers Green Hosting right here!
We now offer Environmentally Friendly Website Hosting plans right here at Palila Studio! With any of our plans you can opt to add on a maintenance plan. Each month your website will be cared for, backed up, and updated to keep it in top shape.
SOURCES
The Internet Has a Dirty Secret. Fortune, 2020, https://fortune.com/2019/09/18/internet-cloud-server-data-center-energy-consumption-renewable-coal/
Server Speed and Sustainability Drive Ten-Year Carbonfree® Partner A2 Hosting. Carbon Fund Organization U, 2018, https://carbonfund.org/server-speed-sustainability-drive-ten-year-carbonfree-partner-a2-hosting/.
Disclosure: I would never recommend any product I don’t love & trust, and use myself. I have tested and/or use these web hosting sites. I do however, receive a small commission for referring and spreading their amazing efforts.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂