September 10, 2009A world-first in carbon offset software has been debuted by Queensland company,
Little Green Genie (LGG), as it joins the cause to reduce computer emissions.
Launched this week by Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Kate Jones, LGG is a program that calculates how much energy is being used by a computer, and then uses this information to buy a proportionate amount of carbon credits to offset this use.
LGG spokesman, Bruce Nelson, says with the manufacture and energy used to run computers creating as big a carbon footprint as the global airline industry, green minded computer users now have an option to offset their PC’s carbon emissions.
“We think the public really feel a sense of duty to help offset carbon emissions, but many feel it can be too much of a hassle to really do anything,” Nelson says.
“The Little Green Genie program, developed right here in Queensland, is easy to download and calculates the computers emissions from energy use,” he says.
“It then automatically purchases carbon credits from Climate Friendly, a founding member of the international carbon reduction and offset alliance, which in turn supports renewable energy equal to the computers energy use.”
The average computer user will only have to pay approximately ten dollars a year to use the simple program, which can be downloaded off the internet.
The simplicity of the program and its accuracy in calculating the emissions are major factors in its potential popularity with personal computer users as well as businesses.
As part of the launch, LGG will be promoting its inaugural national zero carbon computer challenge (ZCCC).
Entrants in the ZCCC offset the emissions created through the manufacture and use of their computers, making them a zero carbon computer user.
They then promote their own online competition page to their network that then take up the challenge to do the same.
Every company (and person) who offsets through an entrants page is then added to their carbon total allowing them to compete with others from around Australia.
Nelson says the challenge is a great way for industry sectors, companies and individuals to compete against each other to vie for the title of the most green computer user within their network.
“With two typical Internet searches using the equivalent energy of boiling an electric kettle (according to a Harvard University study) the benefits eclipse the small financial annual outlay,” he says.
“Computers, which are now critical to personal and business communications worldwide, account for around five percent of the world's total carbon emissions, which is about the same as the airline industry.”
LGG is part of a growing number of social entrepreneur businesses that recognise a social problem and uses innovative principles to organise, create and manage a venture to make social change.
The program is the first of its kind in the world, and with increased take up by individuals and businesses, is set to prove a successful model to encourage other social enterprises.
Enquiry about the program has already been received from over 78 countries including Bangladesh, Slovenia and Lebanon, with subscribers already on board from 10 countries, proving the broad international appeal of carbon offset initiatives.