Green Computing from a Holistic Perspective

Green computing is the study and practice of designing and manufacturing computing devices and software in a way that reduces their environmental impact. The energy consumption and Carbon Dioxide (CO
2
) emissions caused by non-green computing practices have detrimental impacts on the planet, which may be irreversible. Global warming is the gradual and continuous increase of earth's average temperature caused by CO
2
emissions and various other factors. Possible methods that could be used to make computer systems greener include carbon-free computing, solar computing, quiet computing, and using optimal programming languages. The steps to green computing are to develop a sustainable green computing plan, recycle, make environmentally sound purchase decisions, reduce paper consumption, and conserve energy. By practicing these computing methods and following the steps to green computing, we can potentially reduce the environmental impacts of computing and continue sustainable development. Developments involving the study of green computing have allowed new research opportunities to arise. Recently, the amount of resources needed for IT and computing systems has dramatically increased. To meet these ever-growing demands, the focus has shifted to heavily increasing infrastructure development capable of meeting said demands while ignoring the potential environmental impacts. In this paper, we will explore different methods of green computing and compare the findings to prove the importance of sustainable development.