Business Weekly

The head of Cambridge University's computer lab, Prof Andy Hopper

Professor Andy Hopper, who heads up the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, said it was the belief "that we can help save the planet and provide a sustainable future for generations to come" that was driving exciting new research at the Computer Laboratory. He said: "Computing power can be moved around the world and can be done anywhere in the world where the energy is available."

Professor Hopper said that the energy needed to power computers was extremely portable and therefore could be created from solar or wind energy in one location and transferred to computers in another, faraway place.

Since it was easier and more efficient to transfer information than to transfer power across great distances, Professor Hopper suggests moving server centres closer to the source of the energy. He is championing 'server farms' located in remote areas with ample wind or solar energy, connecting to computers around the country.

By taking advantage of renewable power that is going unused instead of creating a new supply of energy, Professor Hopper's plan could save money for the companies involved as well as slashing their carbon footprint. "The whole point is that we are using energy that would otherwise be lost. It is more efficient, more appropriate, cheaper to use it in situ," Prof Hooper said.

Office equipment (about a third of which is computers) creates 15 per cent of carbon emissions in a typical office, according to UK government figures. Business computing in the UK creates 2.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, while the nation overall emits just over 150 million tonnes of carbon every year.

The Cambridge Computer Laboratory research has four main goals and is focused on find ing practical solutions to some of the major problems - from traffic congestion and pollution to more sustainable manufacturing and reduced power consumption.

Optimal Digital Infrastructure

Prof Hopper says that our lives have become dependent on the digital world. But to sustain this appetite for technology, "we need to make a major shift to more energy efficient ways."

For example, devices and systems only need to be powered when they are actually performing a function or doing something useful. They should be switched off not just on standby - at all other times.

"At the Computer Laboratory we are investigating new architectures that precisely monitor energy consumption and can turn systems on and off rapidly.

"And with hardware increasingly becoming a disposable commodity, we are looking at better reuse and longer lasting components to mitigate the environmental impact of production and fabrication."

Predict & React

Using computing to make accurate predictions is an established science - from the weather to economics. But working on such a large global scale with indeterminate multiple variables is by no means exact, says the Cambridge research team.

"Increasingly powerful computers and algorithms are required to improve the precision and accuracy of forecasts on global warming and its effects. But more fundamental is the question of how we know if the models work. If we don't understand the problems how can we fix them?

"Even our most commonly used computing applications require frequent updates to deliver software that expresses the programme"s intent without bugs and vulnerabilities. Complex simulation applications simply multiply the risks and unknowns.

"Research is looking at ways to refine programming methodologies and processes to create models that are accurate, consistent and reliable."

Sense & Optimise

The Cambridge team says that computing has a key role to play in optimising the use of resources in the physical world.

"One way this can be achieved is by actively sensing the environment in real time and using new algorithms to create cost functions which reflect natural resources in sectors ranging from transport to water management. "Innovative approaches to global-scale monitoring, generation of information and interpretation and analysis are needed to realise this goal, together with new technological and legislative frameworks.

"Our research embraces the use of sensors to provide information needed to better manage traffic flow, while maintaining the privacy of individuals."

Digital alternatives to physical activities

There has already been a major shift to the digital world in our daily lives at work and at home, reflected by the wide scale adoption of electronic messaging, digital media and the web.

In the future there may be greater changes so that the primary way we operate for the purposes of wealth creation and en tertainment is in cyberspace, says Prof Hopper.

"This will reduce the impact of our activities on the physical world while allowing societies to grow sustainably. New tools, environments and infrastructures are being conceived that will make an accelerated shift to a digital world that is enticing, effective and rewarding for us all."

Arguments continue to rage over whether global warming is happening and whether we should act, but the Computer Laboratory research team has no doubts about the difference computing can make to the planet.

Prof Hopper said: "Computing has had a huge impact on the way we work and spend our leisure time. In the last 10 years alone, the Internet has revolutionised communications and miniaturisation has put immense computing power literally in the palm of our hands.

"While these advances have delivered exciting opportunities, there have also been accidental side effects that already contribute to greater sustainability.

"Take the MP3 player. It's a handy way to store and access all of our music, but it has also reduced the number of CDs manufactured and shipped around the world. There are many such examples. Imagine what could be achieved if the power of comput ing was truly focused and harnessed to deliver real environmental change.

"But computing is not the solution in isolation. We need to work closely with other disciplines such as materials, biology, economics and environmental science. Only by pulling together these areas of expertise can we hope to make a positive impact on our environment and the way we live."

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