Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

Grant Howard and Sam Lubbe
Green IT can also be viewed from an Information Systems (IS) perspective termed Green IS. Green
IS involves more than just IT, it involves people and their use of IT as the core component of
environmental problems and solutions, and this perspective of Green IT is suited for IS research. The
paper uses the terminology Green IT while discussing Green IS, to be consistent with current
practice.
3.4 IT as a Green contravener and Green promoter
3.4.1 IT as a Green contravener
IT is a Green contravener through the creation of e-waste, the consumption of finite, natural resources
such as trees for paper and water for cooling, and the exacerbation of dangerous anthropogenic
climate change through GHG producing energy consumption. Pollution in the form of e-waste results
in environmental degradation and destruction, and is driven by the huge consumer demand for
electronic products and the rapid electronic product obsolescence rates.
3.4.2 IT as a Green promoter
IT is a Green promoter through the use of IT in all Human activities to minimise pollution, minimise
natural resource consumption, and minimise energy consumption. IT has the potential to enable the
achievement of environmental sustainability in all Human activities primarily through the provision of
information. Information provided by an IS enables Human activity efficiency which reduces the
negative environmental sustainability aspects; and enables Human activity effectiveness which
changes previous Human activities to new environmentally sustainable activities. Human activity
efficiency without effectiveness presents the risk that the efficiency savings are used to justify
increased consumption and further, any efficient or effective changes must not be offset by the IS
environmental costs to affect those changes. Information enables informed and effective choices
about environmental sustainability.
3.5 Radical IT changes
3.5.1 Product life-cycle changes
In order for IT to minimise the negative aspects and maximise the positive aspects, radical changes
are necessary. Currently, e-waste management is the primary Green IT focus among organisations.
E-waste changes include the elimination of e-waste throughout the IT product life cycle from product
design to product disposal. IT product design changes accommodate second hand use and
upgradeability so that obsolescence periods are extended; non-disposable is Green. Software
changes, especially operating system software changes creates software that uses fewer resources,
prevents device obsolescence, and reduces subsequent disposals. Throughout the IT product
lifecycle stakeholders will be encouraged to reduce, re-use, and recycle or re-use, refurbish, and
recycle.
3.5.2 Consumption changes
Changes to lifestyles and cultural behaviours involve reducing the demand and subsequent
consumption of IT products. The culture of satisfying immediate consumption needs requires a
change to a culture promoting long term environmental sustainability practices and projects. The
culture of consumerism and consumption requires a change to one of environmental sustainability.
The single pursuit of economic profits negates environmental sustainability.
Radical energy saving changes that enable the effective and the efficient use of energy are critical to
reduce GHG producing electricity consumption. IT innovation is essential in order to control, manage,
and re-engineer all Human energy consumption activities for reduced energy consumption. It is
necessary to use electricity generation methods other than GHG producing methods, such as
hydroelectric power.
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