Less Stressing. More Living.
Green Website
Why I love a green website…
Over the years, I have created multiple websites for my businesses. They have ranged from basic store front type sites to full on business platform sites.
I’ve performed site visits of data centers where the servers are located; took tours of facilities.
Our team learned about the security in place, fire suppression systems, water detection, plus the redundancy of power, servers, and internet connections.
So, a number of years ago I was researching how businesses could incorporate more sustainability into their everyday operations.
What processes, products, or services could be substituted for existing processes, products, or services that would be the same price (or cheaper) BUT would be better for our planet?
Easy Change for a Better Planet
One of those solutions was simply to use an eco-friendly website hosting company.
I could get all the quality and service that was the same or better and have a green website!
This isn’t just for a business – anyone who has a website or wanting to build a website needs to host it somewhere.
This is probably the easiest solution to implement for any individual or business that cares about the future of our planet.
Environmental Impact of Websites
There are a lot of website hosting choices. The list has grown over time with the increase in demand. Hosting companies use data centers to house the equipment used to host websites.
In 2012 there were 500,000 data centers worldwide.
In 2019 there were 8,000,000 data centers worldwide. That’s a 16x increase in just 7 years.
These data centers use an enormous amount of energy. This is not only for keeping all the servers running but also to keep them cool so they don’t overheat.
The power for this energy is pulled from whatever power grid they are on. And most of the electricity in our power grids is produced by carbon polluting sources.
Already, data center pollution accounts for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions. That is about as much as the AIRLINE industry. So, this is a pretty big problem.
And this is projected to grow to 14% of the world’s carbon emissions by 2040. 7x worse.
Can this path be altered?
What is a Green Website?
I use GreenGeeks as my hosting provider. Not only for this website, but I moved my other sites to GreenGeeks as well.
They work with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to calculate their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Then they have the foundation purchase Renewable Energy Credits 3 times the amount that they have consumed.
Renewable Energy Credits represents electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. This electricity is then put back into the power grid.
And not just what is consumed, but 3 times the energy consumption.
So by using GreenGeeks, you are working with a company committed to the environment and renewable energy. Plus, the company has great service levels and excellent reviews.
They have always been quick to respond to my questions and have helped me through the whole SSL certificate set up for my sites.
Check out this quick video they put together to explain the process:
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” Robert Swan, Arctic explorer & climate activist
I do highly recommend checking them out if you are looking for a hosting provider and would like to have a green website. Click here:
And if you already have a site but would like make an impact on the environment, they will help transfer your site for free. See how:
Interested in Doing Good?
If you are at all interested in products and services from environmentally and socially conscious companies, I’m always on the lookout as well.
You’ve probably heard of some of the popular companies such as TOMS Shoes and Warby Parker as they’ve received a tremendous amount of press.
But there are many more companies that are not just socially conscious with a buy-one-give-one model but have made changes to their business processes (and entire supply chain) to take on issues such as:
- Living wage
- Child labor
- Forced labor
- Discrimination
- Working conditions
There is a whole new type of legal corporation status that has been introduced in 35 states called a Benefit Corporation. This allows companies to legally operate for more than just maximizing profits for the shareholders. Companies can also get B certification by the global nonprofit B Labs.
Additionally, there are a number of companies that have committed to 1% of the Planet. They allocate 1% of their total revenue/sales (not profit) to environmental causes.
So if you’d like to be up to date and discover these forward thinking companies, I’m starting a list of folks who would be interested in learning and hearing more about these companies. They provide products and services that we use everyday.
These companies are doing good for the planet and the people who work with them. I’ll occasionally send out an email note with what I come across that I think you might be interested in.
If interested, add your name to the list here:
Click to Learn How:
