Peddi Ashok’s blog

A Google search has a strong impact on the environment .One search generates approximately 7g of carbon dioxide(co2)i.e half of what a kettle of boiling water generates (About 15g).When a person searches a particular item in Google,his request goes to several servers which compete against each other.The request may sent to servers that are very far from one another There are servers of Google search in the US,Europe,Japan and China.Each server generates as answer and the one that is produced the fastest is sent to the person by Google .Though this system is efficient it amounts to high energy consumption .Also each of these servers or data centres consumes a lot of power.Google claims that it is in the forefront of green computing but it is nevertheless,leaving a large carbon footprint.

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HYDERABAD: Remember Popeye and his famous can of spinach? Well, all green leafy vegetables are not exactly Popeye’s power-giving spinach. And the old adage ‘green is gold’ certainly doesn’t apply to this green leafy vegetable called ‘seema thotakura’ or ‘alligator weed’.
Known with different local names such as ‘seema ponnaganti’ or ‘silvan bacchal’, the hollow stemmed weed with pointed leaves is increasingly gaining popularity among city dwellers. Available for Rs. 2 or Rs.3 per bundle, the weed is being sold in many vegetable markets. So what’s so dangerous about it? The innocent-looking green leafy vegetable is not rich in iron or vitamins but is instead, a storehouse of toxic heavy metals, point scientists in the city.Carcinogenic
Picked up from polluted water bodies in the city such as Hussainsagar and Musi River, it is in fact an indicator of pollution, says M.V.S. Prasad, Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad. Prof. Prasad, who has carried out extensive research, says consumption of the weed has ‘carcinogenic and mutagenic’ effects on human health. However, an official of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) says consumption of this weed is unheard of and not yet brought to their notice. “Alligator weed is an invasive alien species which spreads automaticallyAny alien leafy vegetable is referred to as ‘seema thotakura’ or ‘seema ponaganti’ in the local jargon. So we need to first confirm if what is being sold is Alligator Weed and then analyse it,” said the official.
Prof. Prasad agrees about the jargon but says that the weed is being sold widely. “During the course of my research I found the weed being widely sold with different local names in many markets such as Uppal, Nallakunta and Monda etc,” he said adding that consumers don’t question the origin of their food. Prod the vendors a little and they will tell you that the weed grows in ‘water’. “We get it from water bodies close to Madanpet, Dilshuknagar and Nagole,” says a vendor at Monda.
Native to South America, it is considered as one of the worst weeds in the world, says Chintala Sudhakar Reddy, Scientist, Forest and Ecology Division, National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA). “It is commonly found in urban water ways, drainages and sewage sludge and has the ability to absorb several heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, chromium and copper,” he says.