Over the past few months, the concept of green computing has become all the rage. But the undeniable fact is that often times with this low impact approach to computing, we end up sacrificing actual computing power, which makes this a tough sell for many. Frankly, to me it just feels like a marketing ploy. Could this perception be felt by others as well?

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is on the front lines of the battle against global climate change. Their mission? To convince you that saving power is good for both Mother Earth and the bottom line. The Green Penguin chats with Pat Tiernan, Climate Savers' new executive director, to see what the future holds for this green-IT organization.

Green IT is one of the hottest of today's technology trends, and the GNU/Linux community has risen to the challenge. Along with several corporate partners, the GNU/Linux operating system provides solutions for dealing with power consumption, carbon emissions, and e-waste.

"The Green Penguin" is a new blog devoted to ‘green’ IT related to Linux (though at times loosely). This week´s topic is about Google and General Electric´s recently announced plan to promote a ‘smart’ electric power grid and thus encourage greater use of renewable energy.

Why pay thousands to restrictive software companies when open source programmes are free, easy to use and green?

Microsoft has patented "pay as you go" PC computing. This means users could purchase low cost computers with usage based fees. A user would only pay for and use the specific software application needed. No thanks!

" Looking for a cost-effective way to deliver portable computing to every student, the San Diego Unified School District is installing machines with desktop Linux and other open-source software. In turning to open source, San Diego joins a growing number of school systems aiming to extend computing resources affordably to more users."

The total number of dollars rushing toward cloud computing is massive. The various top research firms - IDC, Gartner, et al. -- all have eyebrow-raising forecasts about the growth rate of cloud-based computing services. But are you seeing a lot of headlines about safety? No, not really, though the worries are out there.

From reduced packaging to energy savings to extended equipment lifecycles, Linux can help you green up your tech environment. Jack Wallen looks at some of the eco-friendly benefits of running Linux.