Twitter, Facebook, others sites lack energy-efficiency efforts: Greenpeace

As part of its recent environmental campaign, Greenpeace has unveiled a new study that rates top Internet companies for their efforts in using clean energy in their data processing centers.

Reportedly, Apple, Facebook and Twitter have got the lowest score among sites applying energy efficient measures. Google and Yahoo have however, been praised for making some substantial efforts.

"We expect these companies to play a pivotal role in ensuring we move to clean, safe renewable energy system and avoid future disasters like Fukushima," Gary Cook, Greenpeace IT Policy Analyst, said.

"We think consumers want to know that when they upload a video or change their Facebook status that they are not contributing to toxic coal ash, global warming or future Fukishima's,” stated an official statement released by the green activist company.

Transparency in data consumption measured

Greenpeace scientists analyzed the transparencies of these top websites on the basis of the amount of data utilized, efficiency measures adopted by the data centers of these companies and their efforts for initiating awareness on environment.

And what came as a shocking result was that while all these companies scored low scores for data-efficiency, Google and Twitter had minimal scores.

About electricity usage by data centers

"Twitter's move from San Jose to Utah, which has an electric utility mix that is 97 percent fossil-fuel based (81 percent coal) as compared with 27 percent renewable (with less than 1 percent coal and 20 percent nuclear), is a huge step backwards for Twitter," Greenpeace said.

Technology major Apple’s data center in North Carolina also failed to meet with Greenpeace’s criterion.

“Facebook appears to lack the vision to become a company powered by clean energy. Facebook has selected data centers that rely on coal and nuclear and has not made sufficient investments in renewable energy,” the environmentalist firm said.

Meanwhile, appreciating the efforts of Greenpeace, the companies have claimed working on the suggestions offered by the organization.