The Google Teacup- Dr. Alex Wissner-Gross
Published: Jan 22, 2009
Remember the hoopla about Google and it's environmental impact about the teacup and 7 grams of CO2 emissions? Somehow the Times UK confused different companies and said that Dr. Alex Wissner-Gross made those comments. Most was not true and unfortunately The Times gots themselves into a tight corner. We had the opportunity (and a bit of blushing on the reporter's end) to interview Dr. Wissner-Gross, the man behind the "7 grams." He is the cofounder of CO2Stats, a company that shows you how your website is contributing to the carbon footprint. Dr. Wissner-Gross is also a triple major graduate at MIT and is currently a Environmental Fellow at Harvard University.
Preeti @ WHS: So we all read about the Times article, were you contacted by them before the story was published?
Dr Wissner-Gross: They contacted us to get quotes for the initial publication but then confused what we said with other companies mentioned in the article.
WHS: What were your thoughts about it?
Dr Wissner-Gross: We tried to get in touch with the reporter to make corrections. He had promised us they would make the changes. However, no corrections were ever made before that initial publication.
WHS: What is the story behind the tea kettle, or is it just crazy facts?
Dr Wissner-Gross: I prefer decaf coffee.
WHS: Do you think search engine companies are doing a good job of becoming environmentally friendly with regards to massive energy consumptions by datacenters?
Dr Wissner-Gross: T here's an enormous financial incentive for them to take energy efficiency very seriously. Searching uses a large amount of resources and I believe they are working towards efficiency.
WHS: Lastly, could you tell us a little about your company, CO2Stats.com?
Dr Wissner-Gross: It was the result of a discussion between Tim Sullivan and myself on the carbon footprint of the internet, after witnessing an influential talk by John Doerr [a major influence in the Silicon Valley world and beyond]. We learned that even online video had a carbon footprint. So we started CO2Stats and today it is used by thousands worldwide.
Thank you Dr. Wissner-Gross for this opportunity!
January 22nd, 2009
Written by Preeti Pradhan
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