Triplesourced

The airline industry is the worst culprit when it comes to carbon emissions right? Wrong, according to a survey by analyst Gartner, the IT industry is just as bad – responsible for two percent of global emissions. We’re not sure how the numbr crunchers at Gartner came up with the results but the prognosis is that it's time for the IT crowd to stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution – or something snappy like that. "The ICT industry needs to gain a better understanding of the full life cycle of ICT products and services, and innovate to reduce environmental impact", is Gartner's pithy recommendation.

“’Going green’ is no longer the reserve of a minority ‘doing the right thing’; it’s becoming an essential activity for all IT leaders,” the analysts continue.

The steps to green heaven include:

• Start measuring power consumption

• Consume fewer servers and printers by increasing utilisation – virtualise servers

• Stop over-provisioning; improve capacity planning

• Improve the efficiency of cooling

• Turn power management on, use a low power state or turn equipment off after hours

• Extend the life of assets by reusing within the enterprise and externally

• Ensure and validate the correct disposition of all electronic equipment

• Analyze all waste

Microsoft has come in for some criticism over the environmental impact of Vista which some studies have shown to be the most resource hungry operating system the software giant has ever shipped. Then there is the issue of all the existing machines that are not able to run the OS which will get retired during upgrades to Vista. (Microsoft has tried to point out that Vista has some energy saving functionality by way of a more effective sleep mode but the actual meat of the report wasn't that convincing). So how does a company with a struggling green rep try to boost its environmental credentials – by offering free taxi rides to work – that's how? Yep rather than encouraging commuters to walk or bike to work, Microsoft is offering commuters free taxi rides in London's Zone 1 and 2 from 7.30 to 9.30am for four weeks beginning April 10th. So for all those lazy Londoners who can't lower themselves to pile into the tube with the rest of us – or god-forbid – actually walk anywhere – Microsoft will happily subsidise your carbon emissions! Fantastic! We look forward to Microsoft PRs next gimmick – maybe Microsoft sponsored SUVs to take Chelsea school-kids the 0.3 miles to school everyday?

Novell has become the latest vendor to sign-up to the Green Grid - a gang of supposedly environmentally minded tech companies that are committed to exchanging ideas around how to make data centers more energy efficient. Novell's contribution seems to be based around the idea that virtualisation, specifically Xen running on the company's Suse Enterprise Linux server, can help drive up server utilisation rates. But it seems it's not easy being green, or cheap, with membership starting at $25,000 (£12,700) annually for full membership, and $5,000 for associate membership. We're not sure what that fee goes on - recycled paper to record the company minutes or energy efficient light-bulbs maybe?

We have finally moved into our new offices behind London's Tate Modern - and we're very chuffed with the results

Aside from the need for more space, the new building in Lavington Street was designed with multi-media creation in mind – and comes complete with a dedicated video studio and podcast room.

It's also a very comfortable place to work with loads of space for expansion.



The new office comes with a glass bridge to let light into the break-out area below



There is also plenty of meeting space including these booths in the new break-out area – complete with plasma screens.

How does your office compare? We'd love to hear feedback (and see pics) from you on what your work environment is like - good or bad.

There will be a prize for the best entry, so send your emails to our community manager Karen Friar at karen.friar@zdnet.co.uk

Apple has come in for another kicking from the green lobby this week with the latest update to an environmental ranking . formulated by environmental group Greenpeace. The ranking puts Chinese PC maker Lenovo at the top – that is the same China that has a thriving black-market in disassembling the West's old tech in hazardous conditions – while hip and smart Apple languishes in last place.

Conventional is wisdom wrong again it seems. Steve Jobs' outfit aren't taking it lying down however and when I contacted them again to find out what their response to being the eco-dunces of the class are – they pinged me a link to a Business Week article . from last month that goes some way to defend the company that encourages us all to Think Different:

…"if you're evaluating an Apple purchase versus another computer product based on the haranguing that Apple is receiving from Greenpeace, don't be fooled. Apple's no more or less evil than any other computer manufacturer. And while it's one thing to call attention to a problem that an entire industry needs to address, Greenpeace's methodologies, in this particular case, don't paint an accurate picture.

There's a right way and wrong way to respond to these concerns, and the wrong way would to be cave in to rhetorical bullying by a political action group that's well-known for creating drama where there is none."