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BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

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Costing the Earth

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet

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Costing the Earth: Virtual Warming

Factual: Science & Nature

Virtual Warming

20/04/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth, Virtual Warming

The contribution to global CO2 emissions of huge ICT dataprocessing warehouses.

Counting the carbon cost of our love affair with computers, the programme discovers that every twitter or Facebook posting has an energy demand far higher than we might realise.

Every twitter, Facebook posting and You Tube video viewed has a carbon cost that is becoming increasingly dear, as our use of computers grows exponentionally.
The expanding digital cloud contributes 2 per cent of global emissions of carbon dioxide, about the same as aviation, and it's rising.  The high energy demands of the massive data centres needed to store all our information are of growing concern to both the government and industry. But how can they be made greener and more efficient? Costing the Earth investigates.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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