The "so-coal network," a campaign to get Facebook to unfriend coal. was a wake-up call to internet savvy environmentalists using it as an outreach tool like yours truly. It boils down to this: Technology isn't without its environmental impact. The web continues to grow so more people get online each day and with that comes more energy use and a bigger carbon footprint.

How Green Is Your Internet? from Dan Ilic on Vimeo.

Treehugger first posted this video from Australian filmmakers Dan Ilic and Patrick Clair which outlines the emissions produced to deliver the internet to computers around the world. Of course, there can be a future where we as consumers can choose how our energy is produced or perhaps it can be offset in a different way.

Last year, the site discussed some vital alternatives:

Server farms can be located near hydroelectric facilities or other sources of renewable energy and the can be built in the arctic circle to take advantage of natural cooling.

On an individual level it is important to simply be aware that using the internet is not "carbon neutral" and don't leave your computer on when you aren't using it.

They conclude "as an industry, however, some internet companies have made great strides towards reducing their impact by powering their facilities with renewable energy sources -- but still there are more than a few that continue to get it from the high-emission coal plants. Perhaps the most effective way of getting more companies on board to reduce their carbon footprints is for users themselves to demand it." And that's what we need to do. To learn more about ending the relationship with coal, check the "so-coal network."

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