Bill St. Arnaud will be beaming into Queenstown for APAN26 to give a plenary presentation on the development of new types of computational and network architectures that can reduce CO2 emissions and benefit eScience. 

Saving the Planet at the Speed of Light - How R&E networks can help reduce global warming

Setting the scene: cyber-infrastructure and CO2

One of the greatest threats to our future society and economy is global warming.  It is estimated that the ICT industry alone produces as much CO2 as the entire output of the entire aviation industry.

University researchers are now an increasingly major contributor to these CO2 emissions because of the demand for new cyber-infrastructure equipment which is essential to the future of scientific discovery. As a result some universities and R&E networks are starting to explore new types of computational and network architectures that not only benefits eScience but also reduces CO2 emissions.

Architecture solutions 

Optical high speed research networks and distributed zero carbon cyber-infrastructure data centers with network virtualization, web services and grids will be a critical component of this architecture. These developments have the potential of creating new revenue opportunities for R&E networks and their associated members through carbon offset trading.

Since consumer control or influence 60% of all CO2 emissions, universities and R&E networks can help pioneer programs to encourage students and faculty to reduce their personal carbon footprint through trading "bits and bandwidth for carbon" such as offering free eProducts such as eTextbooks, eMusic etc (which almost have a zero carbon footprint) as a reward mechanism to those who reduce their personal CO2 output in other activities.  Carbon rewards may be more effective than carbon taxes in modifying consumer behaviour.

About Bill

Bill is Senior Director Advanced Networks for CANARIE Inc., Canada's Advanced Internet Development Organization. At CANARIE Bill has been responsible for the coordination and implementation of Canada's next generation optical Internet initiative called CA*net 4. 

He has been the principal architect of the User Controlled LightPath concept of applying Service Oriented Architecture to network elements to allow users to create their own Internet network topologies and architectures fully integrated with their specific application and instrument needs.