How do you know if something is reliable?

~ the website is reliable because the domain ends in .org which means "organization" which is not for profit.

~ the statistics are from the EPA, a government agency that can be researched and checked out.

~ Jonathan Koomey can be checked out because we know where he works - he is a project scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA.

~ Sudhanva Gurumurthi can be checked out because we know where they work - Gurumurthi is a computer science professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

What solutions does Koomey suggest in solving the energy crisis?

~ turn off computers directly connected to an electrical outlet when not in use.

~ unplug computer power from the wall to avoid "vampire" sucking of energy.

~ use laptops over desktops because it can use battery power.

~ download music directly from ITunes instead of buying an actual CD because the CD involves many pollution causing sources like...

Exemplar Response:

Jonathan Koomey's solution to the energy crisis associated with using the Internet is to focus on simple ways to conserve energy. Jonathan Koomey, a project scientist at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in Berkley, CA., suggests a couple ways to reduce the energy impact caused by computers. The first suggestion was to "turn your computer off at night...when you're not using it during the day, put it to sleep." To explain, leaving your computer on when you're not using it is like leaving the water on in your shower and sink all day. It's a waste of resources and very costly. In addition, Koomey also states, "desktop computers use three to five times more energy than do laptops." Although the quote does not directly offer a solution, it suggests the use of laptops over desktops because laptops do not use as much energy. To clarify, laptops are not always plugged in because they are often used in association with battery power; therefore, they are portable and do not need to be attached to a direct power source. Being aware of your power usage and trying to switch to more energy-efficient computing are two ways to reduce the impact caused by the Internet.