Solar panels:
Google announced a commitment to solar energy production in October 2006, and launched the largest solar panel installation to date on a corporate campus in the United States. In June of 2007, Google produced 9,900 kilowatt-hours of electricity from the sun and has installed over 90% of the 9,212 solar panels that comprise the 1,600 kilowatt project. Panels cover the rooftops of eight buildings at their headquarters and two newly constructed solar carports. The project is projected to produce enough electricity for approximately 1,000 California homes or 30% of Google's peak electricity demand in our solar powered buildings in Mountain View, CA headquarters. [1]
Carbon Neutral by 2007:
Google plans on neutralizing their carbon footprint by the end of 2007 by using these three basic strategies: - reduce energy consumption by maximizing efficiency; - invest in and use renewable energy sources; and - purchase carbon offsets for the emissions that they can't reduce directly. [2]
They have also joined the World Resources Institute’s Green Power Market Development Group to exchange information with energy managers at other leading corporations. Their intention is to collaborate with members to support commercialization technologies for generating, storing, and distributing green power -- electricity that can meet their collective need for reliable power that is available 24/7. [3]
Website for Green Summer:
In 2006 Earth Day Network (EDN) partnered with Google to create Google Maps Summer of Green, an environmentally-focused video and map guide to eco-tourism spots. They focused on the top US travel city destinations, letting it's users to discover green travel options by featuring guided virtual video tours of environmentally friendly destinations, including organic spas, hotels, restaurants, eco car rentals, and green family friendly activities, such as nature museums and horseback riding outposts. http://www.earthday.net/news/06-01-06_release.aspx
Google Earth Outreach helps Not For Profits:
July 3, 2007 Google Inc. launched an initiative to help charities and other nonprofit groups use maps and satellite images to raise awareness, recruit volunteers and encourage donations. Grants to receive a free copy of Google Earth's ($400 professional-version software) — are initially limited to U.S. nonprofits. An example is the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum which has been using Google Earth to call attention to atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan. When users scan over Darfur, they see icons of flames representing destroyed villages and of tents for refugee camps. Clicking on an icon opens a window with details and links on how to help. Others are the U.N. Environmental Program, which has used the software to show areas of environmental destruction, the Jane Goodall Institute now shows locations of its research on chimpanzees and African deforestation, and a Brazilian Indian tribe is working on ways to help stop loggers and miners from deforesting the jungle and digging for gold. [4]
Initiatives: Google.org is working to help shape key policies at the state and federal levels to encourage efficiency, federal greenhouse gas limits and transformative energy policies and incentives to spur faster growth of renewable energy in the electricity grid.[[5]]
Climate Savers Computing Initiative Google partnered with more then 25 different companies all with the same goal to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting aggressive new targets for energy-efficient computers and components, and promoting the adoption of energy-efficient computers and power management tools worldwide. [6]
Transportation:
Google Transit makes it easier to find and use public transportation around the globe. New custom tabs on iGoogle bring climate news, energy-related talks on video from their @Google series and other environment-related content to your homepage. Google Maps users have created mashups to show possible coastal flooding if the sea level changes, or to map climate data for cities worldwide. [7]
To reduce the impact of their employee commutes, they have an extensive corporate shuttle program in the U.S., bringing more than 1,500 Google employees from around the San Francisco Bay area to their corporate headquarters in Mountain View. They also offer a $5,000 employee rebate on the purchase of vehicles with a fuel efficiency of 45 miles per gallon. In our U.S. and European offices, we provide free bicycles to encourage employees to bike to work, and to cycle instead of drive when they travel around the larger corporate campuses.
Food:
All of the cafes serve organically produced food whenever possible. They also aim to serve locally-sourced food, which reduces the energy inputs and vehicle miles traveled to serve their employees. They also offer compost able plates, napkins, silverware and cups.