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First "Carbon-Free" CPU Fights Global Warming

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the green-costs-green dept.

An anonymous reader writes "VIA is doing its bit to fight Global Warming by introducing the 'world's first carbon-free' desktop PC processor. The RoHS-compliant C7-D consumes 20W at 1.8GHz, and is accompanied by a 'Clean Computing Initiative' that aims to offset the chip's environmental cost. According to a LinuxDevices report, VIA has pledged that atmospheric carbon released during generation of the power needed to run the chip throughout its expected life-cycle will be offset by regional conservation, reforestation, and energy programs initiated or contributed to by VIA."

1 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Its probably too late for this to get modded, but. by tetrahedrassface · · Score: 4, Informative
    Well this is timely for me. Too bad I didn't get to this article when it first posted. But, I recently investigated the Chicago Carbon Exchange for a number of reasons. First of all as a landowner with close to 500 acres of planted pines in plantation form, I wanted to find out what criteria some of these Carbon Offset schemes are founded on.

    A quick check of several carbon neutral sites, where they propose to offset your carbon output for a fee dependent on how much driving you do etc..., left me feeling as if it were a scam of some sort. They offer no real assurance that your money is being placed into long term land/biomass projects. IE, the data is not publicaly verifiable. Its just their word. "pay us 88 dollars and you are Carbon Neutral!!" The sites/entities proclaming carbon offsets should be required to have verifable data to those that join.

    I saw no evidence of that, and it is needed.

    So some digging was in order. A quick call to the Chicago Carbon Exchange, and subsequent dialog with a nice enough bloke in charge of the offsets regarding the siging up of our ranch up in carbon offsets struck me as odd. The exchange currently favors pine plantations with poplars, vs native hardwoods. Native hardwoods live longer and are a a climax species for my area (East Tennessee).

    The fellow said that our pine planataion could qualify for listing with the carbon exchange, but they really want actively managed plantations vs. unmanaged tracts of woodlands (even if they are recoverving from clear cutting).. I tend to disagree on the track of these offset schemes, because even the Carbon Exchange wants the timber to be harvested.

    The whole process is just getting started I will admit, but it needs some serious thinking through on their part. The trees when mature are harvested. Which emits C02, and then proccessed, and then that carbon slowly degrades back into the atmosphere.

    It really doesn't make sense. They should really be trying harder for longer term preservation with native species into climax ecosystems, with selective logging.

    Now, about the late comment, I would have posted earlier but I have been running a business all day, and came home to plant yet another acre of white pines for a seperate christmas tree thing we are trying at the homestead...(yep /me = hippie, geek, rancher, musciaion type)

    So please folks treat it as more than just feel good, pass the buck public image/advertising.

    And demand verification from the offset folks, don't just take thier word on it.

    Peace out, D