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Final Paper- Impacts of Green Cloud Computing on Environmental Protection

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Impacts of Green Cloud Computing on Environmental Protection

An increase in online activities by people has resulted in an increased environmental footprint, which results in high energy consumption to meet the demand. Environmental protection is one of the emerging trends in the contemporary world. Cloud computing is an emerging technology trend that significantly impacts environmental sustainability. Research by Masanet (2013) estimates that by 2025 cloud computing will consume over 20% of the world’s total electricity. This will significantly increase from the current 7% consumed by cloud computing. Despite the disadvantage, Masanet (2013) established that by moving the commonly used software applications to the cloud, energy consumption would be reduced by 87%. As more countries embrace technology and construct data centers for the implementation of technology, the environmental impacts are likely to increase in the discourse. As the world embraces the fight against climate change, adopting green cloud computing strategies will likely improve and lead to a safer, sustainable, and cleaner environment.

Background of the Study

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were forced to work from home due to the imposed containment measures. The challenge was the prerequisite for emerging technology on cloud computing, where more individuals would access the internet from the comfort of their homes. As technology advanced and more people started using cloud computing to embrace remote work, the need for cloud computing rose. Research by Hejri et al. (2022) shows that cloud computing has emerged and is increasing exponentially as days pass in the corporate domain. Research by Wibowo & Wells (2016) also inferred that over 1.5% of global pollution is caused by cloud computing. Over 100 million tons of greenhouse gases are provided by cloud computing resources in the atmosphere. Despite the negative impacts that data centers have on the environment, their impacts have been overlooked in the contemporary world, and their pollution rates and environmental impacts have always been on the rise. The numerous efforts by scientists and environmentalists to lower the impacts on the environment by cloud computing must be investigated and resolved to ensure that the environment is always safe and sustainable.

Research by Arghavani et al. (2022) inferred that one of the global challenges is greenhouse emission, which leads to global warming. Emission is a global concern that has made many people suffer in the long run. Cloud computing is becoming a threat worldwide because of the activities that consume energy exclusively, such as cryptocurrency, data mining, and using heavy metals to store data remotely (Wibowo & Wells, 2016). The energy-guzzling nature of cloud computing is the key to environmental unsustainability because it increases the emission of greenhouse gases in the discourse. Arghavani et al. (2022) further concluded that since technology advancements increase exponentially, it will likely be a significant challenge in global sustainability. A vast population is likely to be affected due to its growth. Consequently, it will be the role of policymakers and leaders from all walks of life to ensure that they are well acquainted with the impact of cloud computing and how it leads to challenges in environmental suitability. Research by Hejri et al. (2022) inferred that more research on green cloud computing must be adopted to ensure that the world remains safe and protected at all times.

The impacts of unsustainable cloud computing are felt worldwide as the emission leads to global warming and changing weather patterns. As the world embraces the fight against the emission of gases that affect the ozone layer, strategies are needed to ensure that the world is not affected (Hejri et al., 2022). Whenever policies are not set to lower the environmental challenges of cloud computing, the use of it is likely to increase the risk factors in the long run. Wibowo and Wells (2016) further researched the impacts of cloud computing and determined that it affected over 90% of the people in the world. As more data centers are set up, they are likely to increase the dangers facing the world and hence make the world less sustainable in the discourse. Research by Arghavani et al. (2022) further proposed that embracing green cloud computing strategies is the antidote to the challenges raised by the increasing impacts of data centers. Green cloud computing is critical for a more sustainable environment in the long run (Wibowo & Wells, 2016). Therefore, this research will analyze the green cloud computing strategies that must be implemented to ensure that data centers and cloud computing generate fewer greenhouse gases in the long run.

Literature Review

Introduction

The concept of green cloud computing has emerged as a solution to minimize the environmental effect of cloud computing. The literature review examines the impacts of green cloud computing on environmental protection. The three articles selected for this review investigate specific topics related to the ecological benefits of green cloud computing. One of the articles explores the impacts of urban green spaces on gaseous air pollutants in Tehran, which is relevant as using cloud computing can reduce the need for physical data centers that emit pollutants. The second article investigates the factors that affect the eagerness for green business operations in the Iranian banking sector. The third article discusses the economics of green cloud computing and how it can contribute to a sustainable future.

The research articles utilized for this literature review were retrieved from the PROQUEST and EBSCOhost databases in the Monroe College library. Information was retrieved from peer-reviewed journals, dissertations, publications, and books. These helped to obtain information about how green cloud computing has contributed to environmental protection. Newspaper articles and peer-reviewed journals were accessed online using various search engines or through direct entry into the website of the publisher of the newspaper or journal.

Review of Literature

Achieving Environmental Sustainability

Wibowo and Wells (2016) conducted research to identify how companies are adopting renewable energy sources and the economic benefits of the green cloud. Cloud computing has become popular as more clients require safe storage. Cloud service providers are responsible for providing services while minimizing environmental impact. The researchers reviewed the literature on green Cloud computing at Central Queensland University, Australia. The authors are qualified to write on the topic as they are in the School of Engineering and Technology. The researchers, in 2016, performed the research starting with an introduction background, then the literature review, a discussion of findings, and a conclusion with future direction. The researchers showed that companies could pursue green Cloud computing by considering significant factors like providing dynamic types of energy, multi-tenancy, utilization of servers, and efficiency of data centers.

The literature review boosts the discussion on the costs of various energy sources, the impact of location, and the sustainability of green Cloud energy. The research showed that companies could achieve economic viability by using greener energy sources. Companies should strive to adopt business processes and practices that are more energy-efficient and sustainable for the environment (Wibowo & Wells, 2016). A green Cloud computing company has a green strategy in aspects like the location of their data centers, the mix of energy of electricity they use, and the consideration of dynamic provisioning.

Implementation of the Green Management Process

Hejri et al. (2022) researched the factors that impact how banks are ready to implement the process of green management. The study's primary purpose was to determine aspects impacting green business operations. These authors were all from the Islamic Azad University, meaning they were qualified to write the paper. Different sections were used to conduct the research. The research was conducted in the year 2019 in Tehran, Iran.

The researchers began this applied research with a theoretical framework concerning the issue of green technology and how it affects banking businesses in Iran. The researchers reviewed all the relevant documents to the topic under study. The applied research involved several books and journals reviewing the theoretical concepts. The population of 14 industry experts in information technology (IT), management, and engineering was sampled using purposeful snowball techniques. The authors then used the fuzzy DEMATEL method to make decisions based on paired comparisons. Hejri et al. (2022) found that green awareness is the factor that had the highest impact and interaction of 6.314 on other factors. Green operation is the factor that is most affected by others.

Negative Impact Associated with Green Cloud Computing

The authors did not mention the period within which they conducted the study. The authors looked at the different influences of the urban green development programs on air quality in urban Tehran (Wibowo & Wells, 2016). The authors looked at the influence of the additional vegetative areas near surface deposition velocities and fluxes. The other elements considered were the concentration of pollutants near the surface, alteration in boundary layer height, and the meteorology variables. The authors use satellite images to determine how planted areas are distributed across the city. Wibowo and Wells (2016) research led to several results the prevailing wind direction and speed influence the daily concentration of pollutants. The lower boundary's height and buoyancy result in deficient vertical mass transport during the daytime. The winds come in from the west over the city at 18:00 UTC with high pollutants.

Analysis of Literature

Arghavani et al. (2019) article contributes to a better understanding of the positive impact of urban green spaces on air quality in metropolitan areas. However, it has limited relevance to the topic of green cloud computing. On the other hand, Hejri et al. (2022) provide insights into the aspects that can promote the implementation of green cloud computing in the banking industry (Arghavani et al., 2022). The research's findings can also be applied to other sectors, making it a valuable source for understanding the potential benefits of green cloud computing. Wibowo and Wells (2016) provide a comprehensive analysis of the environmental benefits of cloud computing, including reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption. The article also evaluates the cost-effectiveness of green cloud computing and provides recommendations for implementing it.

Discussion

According to Arghavani et al. (2022), the critical problem facing the world today is climate change and global warming, which requires all sectors of the economy to embrace green and sustainable practices. Hejri et al. (2022) confirmed that the problem exists because of the numerous laws to ensure that human practices always maintain a green atmosphere. Different countries and the United Nations have set up principles and laws to ensure that the people in the corporate domain always care for the environment. The 13th UN strategic millennium goal concerns the climate and requires people to always care for the environment (Arghavani et al., 2022). The USA has also formulated policies and programs to protect the environment from unsafe air.

Research by Arghavani et al. (2022) proved that human beings are the greatest polluters of the environment and need policy changes to lower carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Hejri et al. (2022) reiterated the clean air act and why people from all walks of life need to ensure better survival chances. According to Wibowo & Wells (2016), computing significantly impacts the carbon footprint because computers contain heavy metals that contribute heavily to the environment. People using machines with heavy metals such as lead contributes to environmental pollution. The clean air act is, therefore, a policy that eradicates all actions that are not environmentally friendly actions. It is imperative to note that different sovereign nations have unique laws, policies, and programs to ensure that the organizations practice green strategies for success. The program implemented in the population affected is the certification as an environmentally green company (Hejri et al., 2022). IT companies offering cloud computing must ensure they are environmentally compliant for a better outcome.

The policies and practices that have been put in place to secure green cloud computing have increased virtualization to reduce the impacts on the environment at the end of the day. The policies on green cloud computing have lowered the power consumption in organizations, making the environment cleaner at all times. According to the research by Wibowo & Wells (2016), improving the culture of remote work. As people work towards maintaining remote work situations, overcoming the environmental challenges paused by dirtier data centers will be possible. Whenever the companies apply the practices suggested by the research, the environment is protected as few metals will be used, and the emission of greenhouse gasses will be eradicated in the discourse. Hejri et al. (2022), on the other hand, inferred that the policies make it possible to increase the utility rate of servers in the companies. Research by Wibowo & Wells (2016) proved that the policies have made it possible to overcome carbon emission impacts. As digital companies undergo scrutiny on the emission to enhance green cloud computing, the outcome is positive.

In a nutshell, research by both Hejri et al. (2022) and Arghavani et al. (2022) underscored the importance of green cloud computing in environmental sustainability and ensuring that all the people in the corporate domain take part in creating a greener economic space. The UN SDG policy on environmental pollution has been adopted by different nations and has been used to make companies environmentally friendly (Wibowo & Wells, 2016). The accreditation programs help overcome the challenges by ensuring that data centers and other organizations dealing with cloud computing always align with organizational needs. The program requires all data centers and computing organizations to comply with the sustainability plan in the long run. Each of the policies and programs always encourages companies to be organization sustainable.

Recommendations

The key recommendations that must be applied for cleaner and sustainable cloud computing include but are not limited to the reduction of energy usage, increasing the longevity of product usage, virtualization, and staff training to switch off products that are not in use (Arghavani et al., 2022). Environmental protection is a crucial aspect in the contemporary corporate domain because it improves the sustainability of economic activities globally. Since climate change is one of the enormous challenges facing the corporate domain, it is the role of organizations to ensure that they comply with the policies and programs set aside to promote environmental sustainability in the long run (Hejri et al., 2022). As more companies initiated the working from the home campaign and increased most of the transactions in the online domain, the practices are likely to increase environmental emissions, leading to pollution (Arghavani et al., 2022).

Energy management is the key solution to ensure that cloud computing encourages lower energy usage in the organization. As organizations use energy, the emission increases, increasing unsustainability in the discourse. As energy usage is lowered in organizations, carbon emission increases environmental safety levels. The recommendation is in tandem with the research by Hejri et al. (2022), which promoted energy regulations to ensure greener cloud computing. Training staff is one of the essential things that encourage staff to take care of the emission and management of pollution (Wibowo & Wells, 2016) when the computing domain trains its personnel to ensure that they are aware of the environmental challenges and ensure that the people are aware of the strategies to prevent emission and therefore improve the pollution reduction in the long run.

Virtualization is one of the essential recommendations meant to lower the chances of environmental emissions and pollution (Arghavani et al., 2022). Data centers for servers use materials for data storage, emitting more carbon emissions leading to pollution (Hejri et al., 2022). However, when virtualization is promoted in data storage and cloud computing, it will lead to a safer and more sustainable environment in the long run (Arghavani et al., 2022). As virtualization increases, it becomes possible for companies to save more energy and have more of them receive better outcomes and attain sustainability in the long run. Products used in cloud computing are the causes of emissions in the internet domain. It is, therefore, the role of the managers to achieve a better outcome and make cloud computing more environmentally friendly. According to Wibowo & Wells (2016), compliance with the policies is critical to reducing harmful environmental emissions.

Conclusion

Climate change is a global concern and different organizations work with nations to lower the environmental impact on human activities. Cloud computing contains energy guzzling equipment therefore increasing the rate of greenhouse emissions. As computing and technology advances over time and the need for cloud computing rises, the emissions increase. Universal laws have been created to ensure that the emission of greenhouse gasses is at its possible lowest. Since cloud computing poses a threat to environmental sustainability, it is important to adopt green cloud computing because it ensures that all the practices leading to high emission are eradicated. Consequently, the strategies serve as the antidote to improve sustainability and promote environmental protection. Failure to promote policies and programs for green cloud computing is likely to compound the problem further. Future research must, therefore, propose uniform policies and programs that can be applied in data centers to lower the emission and improve environmental sustainability.

References

Arghavani, S., Malakooti, H., & Bidokhti, A. A. (2019). Numerical evaluation of urban green space scenarios effects on gaseous air pollutants in Tehran Metropolis based on WRF-Chem model. Atmospheric Environment, 214, 116832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.116832

Hejri, F., M., Valmohammadi, C., & Alborzi, M. (2022). Factors affecting the readiness of green business process management in the Iranian banking industry. Journal of applied research on industrial engineering, 9(1), 115-133. https://doi.org/10.22105/jarie.2021.290644.1340

Masanet, E. (2013). The energy efficiency potential of cloud-based software: a US case study. Energy Efficiency, 6( 2), 295-309. https://crd.lbl.gov/assets/pubs_presos/ACS/cloud_efficiency_study.pdf

Wibowo, S., & Wells, M. (2016). Green cloud computing and economics of the cloud: Moving towards sustainable future.  GSTF Journal on Computing (JoC),  5(1). http://dl6.globalstf.org/index.php/joc/article/download/1642/2317