Greening The Internet: How Leading Companies are Building a Green Web
Greenpeace and Gigaom’s Katie Fehrenbacher cordially invite you to a special forum on the sustainability of the IT sector:
Greening The Internet: How Leading Companies are Building a Green Web
At the San Francisco Exploratorium.
Cloud and mobile computing are transforming society and have the potential to help make it greener. But the rapid growth in electricity needed to power the online world is gaining attention and raising a central question: How Green is the Internet?
In an important shift, some of the best known Internet companies have recently embraced this challenge head on. Join data center and sustainability experts from Box, Facebook, Google, Rackspace, and other leading companies to hear why they are going beyond energy efficiency and have committed to powering their growth with clean renewable electricity.
Gigaom’s Katie Fehrenbacher will lead a discussion with energy experts and representatives from Internet companies who have already committed to power their operations with 100% renewable electricity, to address question like:
- Why are leading Internet companies committing to 100% renewable energy?
- How can Internet companies play an important role in accelerating a shift to renewable energy?
- What are the challenges to powering with renewables, and how have companies overcome them?
- What renewable energy options do companies who rely on colocation providers have?
Following the forum, all participants are invited to take a tour of the Rainbow Warrior III, Greenpeace’s new custom-built, high-tech sailing ship, which will be docked next to the Exploratorium.
12:45PM Registration
1:00PM Welcome – Katie Fehrenbacher, Senior Writer, GigaOM
1:05PM Building a Green Internet—Why It Matters and Signs of Leadership, Gary Cook, Senior IT Analyst, Greenpeace International
1:15PM What are the options to build a Green Internet?
1:20PM Greening the Internet: Leading internet companies share why and how they are seeking to power their platforms with clean power. Presentations by Box, Facebook, Google, Rackspace and other leading technology companies.
2:30PM Break
2:40PM-4:00PM Complimentary 20-minute tours of Rainbow Warrior III, Greenpeace flagship docked at the Exploratorium
2:40PM In depth lessons learned sessions on renewable energy options and energy reporting (company representatives only)
Speakers
Facebook Bill Weihl
Bill Weihl joined Facebook in early 2012 to manage sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives. His group is leading projects to measure and report the company’s carbon and energy footprint, to build real-time public dashboards for PUE and WUE, and to procure clean energy, and generally to understand and manage the company’s environmental footprint. Previously, he spent six years as green energy czar at Google, where he led efforts in energy efficiency and renewable energy, spearheading Google’s drive to become carbon neutral, founding the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, and leading the RE&IT initiative to develop renewable energy cheaper than coal. He has extensive business and technical experience in high-tech, including ten years as a professor of computer science at MIT, five years as a research scientist at Digital’s Systems Research Center, and five years as chief architect and then CTO of Akamai Technologies. In 2009, he was named one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment.
Rackspace Hosting Melissa Gray Senior Director of Sustainability
Melissa is responsible for defining and guiding Rackspace’s Sustainability strategy and activities around the globe. She leads the Global Energy Team, Green Teams and is a member of the Global Infrastructure Team. In addition she leads the Emerging Talent team for Rackspace’s Foundation Services organization and is the Executive Sponsor of the LGBTQA Emloyee Resource Group. Since joining Rackspace in October of 2009, her prior roles have included the development of Operational Support Systems and Chief of Staff to the CEO developing Rackspace’s multi-year strategic plan. Prior to Rackspace, Gray brings over 15 years of business strategy and operations experience working for a Fortune 10 company, transforming complex legacy businesses through innovation. She holds 3 EU and US software patents. Melissa received her B.A. from Western Michigan University.
Google Gary Demasi Director of Data Center Energy and Location Strategy
Gary has over 15 strategy development, corporate site selection, and negotiations experience covering a wide range of industries and operational areas. He has personally managed projects involving hundreds of millions of dollars of capital expenditures, and has executed strategic projects on five continents. In Gary’s current role, he develops overall direction for Google’s global data center site strategy, including managing the company’s energy portfolio, working closely with utility and development partners to secure clean energy for operations. Gary participated in the founding of “Google Energy, LLC” and under Gary’s management, the team has secured over 570 megawatts of renewable energy under long term contracts. Gary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
Box Andy Broer Senior Manager of Datacenter Operations
Andy Broer is the senior manager of data center operations at Box. He is responsible for server procurement and provisioning, space and power management and the critical environment that runs Box’s Saas offering. Previous to joining Box in Feb of 2013 he headed Cisco’s Infrastructure Critical Environments (ICE) team for 16 years. Where he was most recently the physical data center design manager of Richardson 9’s DC, the IT “energy czar” watching over capacity constraints for Cisco’s critical IT environments. He was the IT DC build manager for Cisco’s first stand alone Tier III data center in Texas. Prior to that he headed and managed the Data Center Infrastructure Team through Cisco’s explosive growth years in the late 1990s via global acquisitions during which time his team built more than 100 server environments around the world. He was a board and founding member of AFCOM’s northern California branch in 1997 as well as a trustee for a high tech mutual fund (BFOCX) since 1998. He is now co-chair of the Critical Facilities Roundtable’s Technology Group (CFRT). He holds two degrees from San Jose State University: a BA and an MA.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Stuart Macmillan
Stuart Macmillan is a Chief Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and a Consulting Professor at Stanford University. He was on the founding team of Energy System Integration focused on improved understanding, decision-making, control and design of complex energy systems. He helped create OpenEI, a global energy data commons, and was on the founding team of JavaSoft.
Greenpeace International Gary Cook Senior IT Policy Analyst
Gary leads Greenpeace’s evaluation of climate and energy leadership by global IT brands. He has authored three reports evaluating the growth in electricity demand associated with cloud computing and how different IT companies are performing in ensuring this new demand is powered by renewable energy. Gary has been active in the climate change & energy policy at multiple levels over the past 18 years, working with government officials, multinational corporations, and local governments to strengthen policy drivers at the international, federal, subnational levels Prior to rejoining Greenpeace in 2009, Gary was California Director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.
Turning The Tide: Carbon Divestment for a Post-Sandy Wall Street
In the New York City region, Sandy helped to mobilize a very necessary, overdue conversation on climate survival, but the politics and economics of ending climate pollution — specifically divesting from the fossil fuel industries — has still largely been ignored.
The forum, webcast live, will confront the challenge that Wall Street faces in its financing of the pollution that is threatening New York City’s future. We will also tackle this thorny question: Why is David H. Koch, NYC’s richest man, one of the people most responsible for blocking US climate action?
- Moderator: Brad Johnson, Forecast the Facts - James Slezak, founder of the New Economy Lab - Kate Gordon, VP and Director, Energy and Climate, Next Generation - Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress - Sophie Lasoff, founder of NYU Divest
This forum follows the afternoon’s Turn the Tide on Sandy! rally at City Hall, organized by the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding.
8 PM at Cooper Union’s Rose Auditorium in New York City. RSVP here.
Turn the Tide on Sandy
One year after Hurricane Sandy, millions of aid dollars have been given to New York City but our communities continue to feel the devastation, hunger, homelessness, and displacement. Our new mayor has a unique opportunity to turn this tide and create a more equal city.
Join the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding and allies from across the 5 boroughs in a rally at City Hall marking the one-year anniversary of Sandy. Join the growing movement for a better rebuilding and stand up for stronger communities for all.
President Obama Speaks on Climate Change
President Obama announces the President’s Climate Action Plan in a speech at Georgetown University.
Transcript of the remarks:
Giffords Solar Summit
The office of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will host a wide-ranging policy conference on the state and future of solar energy at the U.S. Capitol next week.
The Giffords Solar Summit will feature perspectives on the state of solar energy from federal and Arizona officials as well as a U.S. Marine Corps colonel and solar industry leaders and advocates, including Michael Bidwill, the president of the Arizona Cardinals and former chairman of the board for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Bidwill has developed and promoted tax and regulatory policies aimed at growing the solar industry in Arizona.
Speakers:- Pia Carusone – Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
- Michael Bidwill – President, Arizona Cardinals
- Thomas Doyle – President & CEO, NRG Solar
- Tom Alston, Solar Outreach and Policy Coordinator, Congresswoman Giffords
- Marc Spitzer – Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Kris Mayes – Faculty Director, Program on Law and Sustainability Arizona State University
- Ken Zweibel – Director, George Washington University Solar Institute
- Dr. Gavi Begtrup, Policy Advisor, Congresswoman Giffords
- Rhone Resch – President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
- Dr. Ramamoorthy Ramesh – U.S. Department of Energy, Program Manager Solar Energy Technologies Program
- Col. Bob “Brutus” Charette – Director, Expeditiona
24 Hours of Reality
24 Hours of Reality will be broadcast live online from September 14 to 15, over 24 hours, representing 24 time zones and 13 languages.
The event begins in Mexico City at 7 pm local (8 pm EDT).
7 PM local, Saturday- Mexico City, Mexico
- Boulder, CO, USA
- Victoria, BC, Canada
- French Polynesia
- Kotzebue, AK, USA
- Hawaii, USA
INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
7 PM local, Sunday- Tonga
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Solomon Islands
- Canberra, Australia
- Seoul, South Korea
- Beijing, China
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- New Delhi, India
- Islamabad, Pakistan
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Durban, South Africa
- London, United Kingdom
- Husavik, Iceland
- Cape Verde
- Ilulissat, Greenland
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- New York City, NY, USA
Olympic winter athletes fight climate change
Please join Protect Our Winters for a special evening with Olympian Gretchen Bleiler, pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, skier Chris Davenport and Aspen Skiing Company’s Auden Schendler.
They’ll discuss climate change, winter sports, and why athletes are an important part of the solution.
Honorary co-hosts Rep. Jared Polis (CO), Sen. Mark Udall (CO), and Sen. Michael Bennet (CO).
Deepwater Horizon, seafood, marine conservation legislation
The following legislation and nominations are scheduled for the Commerce Committee’s consideration:
- S. 50, Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act
- S. 179, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection
- S. 183, Deepwater Horizon Survivors’ Fairness Act
- S. 911, Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act
- S. 962, a bill to reauthorize the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act to promote the protection of the resources of the Northwest Straits, and for other purposes
- Nomination for Promotion in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps
- Nominations for Promotion in the U.S. Coast Guard
Nuclear and alternative fuels legislation
The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on S. 512, the Nuclear Power 2021 Act; S. 937, the American Alternative Fuels Act of 2011; and S. 1067, a bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research and development and demonstration program to reduce manufacturing and construction costs relating to nuclear reactors, and for other purposes (Hearing Room SD-366) (Overflow Room SDG-50).
Witnesses
Panel 1- Dr. John E. Kelly, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactor Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy
- Steven G. Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
- Dr. Edwin Lyman – Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Joe Colvin, President, American Nuclear Society
- Dr. James T. Bartis, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation
- Brian Siu, Policy Analyst, Natural Resources Defense Council
The Vulnerability of U.S. Water Resources to Climate Change: From the Mississippi River floods to growing shortages in the West
Speaker: Peter Gleick
Title: An update on the vulnerability of U.S. water resources to climate change: From the Mississippi River floods to growing shortages in the West
The scientific evidence supporting growing impacts of human-induced climate change on U.S. water resources continues to strengthen. Dr. Peter Gleick, one of the nation’s leading experts on climate and water, will discuss recent reports on increased precipitation intensity in North America, the Mississippi River flood events, the new Department of Interior assessment of climate and western river basins, and efforts to prepare for climate and water risks facing cities, farmers, and natural systems. He will also explore some of the adverse implications of recent budget decisions for emergency preparedness and warning systems, weather forecasting, military preparedness, and national response to extreme events.