Not quite "just in time for Earth Day," as far as this blog is concerned, but April 22 (Earth Day) was actually the day we shipped the files for the latest issue of WHIR magazine off to the printer.
The date is fitting because May's issue is our "green issue," in which we look at one of the most notable issues in hosting from a variety of angles.
It's possible, I suppose that you're reading this blog for some reason other than the fact that you follow web hosting news, but if we accept my general "you, dear reader, are at least interested enough in web hosting to pay attention to the general industry news" assumption to be true, then it is probably also safe to assume that you've noticed the overall increase in "green" hosting news, not just in the last few weeks, but over the last few months.
Last year, not long after we settled on the notion of putting together a "green" issue, I began receiving the green issues of just about every magazine I regularly receive - I've got everything from Toronto Life to PC Magazine to Vanity Fair piled up around my desk.
Eco friendly living and business practices are a big issue across the board, and they've become a serious concern in the hosting business, which has an interesting relationship with environmentalism.
Hosting's biggest impact on the environment is through the consumption of electrical energy. Data centers, and the servers they contain, are an enormous draw on electrical power and, consequently, a significant producer of greenhouse gasses. But energy is also becoming one of the biggest expenses for hosting providers, making it possible for companies in this business to serve their bottom lines even as they pursue more environmentally responsible business practices.
This isn't the case in every industry. A lot of business are struggling to figure out ways to dispose of harmful waste, or to curb other destructive practices without the cost putting them out of business. For hosts, the path is clear.
There isn't yet a specific model for building a green hosting business. But it's on its way. What we set out to do with our green issue was describe the atmosphere in the industry relating to green initiatives, and we approached it form three angles.
The first was the movement itself, where, driven by the motives of conservation for its own sake and conservation for the sake of the bottom line, a culture is building among organizations and outfits working to build the standards by which we measure our "green" efforts.
Second is the practical implementation of green procedures in the data center. We examine the real-world limits most hosting companies face, and map out strategies for building efficiency into the data center.
Third is the message. Hosts pursuing green projects face a decision about the message they bring to customers. And those customers are not always receptive to marketing efforts tied inextricably to an ethical question.
Chances are, your experience with green hosting isn't going to begin, or end, with our green issue. But I'm hopeful that it will be helpful to you in mapping out your business's relationship with environmental issues.
