Environment Variables

Green Software Foundation
Environment Variables

Each episode we discuss the latest news regarding how to reduce the emissions of software and how the industry is dealing with its own environmental impact. Brought to you by The Green Software Foundation.

  1. The Week in Green Software: Sustainable AI Progress

    5D AGO

    The Week in Green Software: Sustainable AI Progress

    For this 100th episode of Environment Variables, guest host Anne Currie is joined by Holly Cummins, senior principal engineer at Red Hat, to discuss the intersection of AI, efficiency, and sustainable software practices. They explore the concept of "Lightswitch Ops"—designing systems that can easily be turned off and on to reduce waste—and the importance of eliminating zombie servers. They cover AI’s growing energy demands, the role of optimization in software sustainability, and Microsoft's new shift in cloud investments. They also touch on AI regulation and the evolving strategies for balancing performance, cost, and environmental impact in tech.

    50 min
  2. AI Energy Measurement for Beginners

    MAR 6

    AI Energy Measurement for Beginners

    Host Chris Adams is joined by Charles Tripp and Dawn Nafus to explore the complexities of measuring AI's environmental impact from a novice’s starting point. They discuss their research paper, A Beginner's Guide to Power and Energy Measurement and Estimation for Computing and Machine Learning, breaking down key insights on how energy efficiency in AI systems is often misunderstood. They discuss practical strategies for optimizing energy use, the challenges of accurate measurement, and the broader implications of AI’s energy demands. They also highlight initiatives like Hugging Face’s Energy Score Alliance, discuss how transparency and better metrics can drive more sustainable AI development and how they both have a commonality with eagle(s)!

    57 min
  3. The Week in Green Software: Transparency in Emissions Reporting

    FEB 27

    The Week in Green Software: Transparency in Emissions Reporting

    For this episode of TWiGS, Chris and Asim discuss the latest developments in emissions reporting, AI energy efficiency, and green software initiatives. They explore the AI Energy Score project by Hugging Face, which aims to provide an efficiency benchmark for AI models, and compare it with other emissions measurement approaches, including the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) for AI. The conversation also touches on key policy shifts, such as the U.S. executive order on AI data center energy sourcing, and the growing debate on regulating the data center industry. Plus, they dive into the Beginner's Guide to Power and Energy Measurement for Computing and Machine Learning, a must-read for anyone looking to understand energy efficiency in AI.

    53 min
  4. How to Tell When Energy is Green with Killian Daly

    FEB 20

    How to Tell When Energy is Green with Killian Daly

    In this episode, host Chris Adams is joined by Killian Daly, Executive Director of EnergyTag, to explore the complexities of green energy tracking and carbon accounting. They discuss the challenges of accurately measuring and claiming green energy use, including the flaws in current carbon accounting methods and how EnergyTag is working to improve transparency through time-based and location-based energy tracking. Killian shares insights from his experience managing large-scale energy procurement and highlights the growing adoption of 24/7 clean energy practices by major tech companies and policymakers. They also discuss the impact of green energy policies on industries like hydrogen production and data centers, emphasizing the need for accurate, accountable energy sourcing and we find out just how tubular Ireland can actually be!

    1h 1m

  5. FEB 13

    Backstage: Impact Framework

    This episode of Backstage focuses on the Impact Framework (IF), a pioneering tool designed to Model, Measure, siMulate, and Monitor the environmental impacts of software. By simplifying the process of calculating and sharing the carbon footprint of software, IF empowers developers to integrate sustainability into their workflows effortlessly. Recently achieving Graduated Project status within the Green Software Foundation, this framework has set a benchmark for sustainable practices in tech. Today, we’re joined by Navveen Balani, Srinivasan Rakhunathan, the project leads and Joseph Cook, the Head of R&D at GSF and Product Owner for Impact Framework, to discuss the journey of the project, its innovative features, and how it’s enabling developers and organizations to make meaningful contributions toward a greener future.

    28 min

  6. JAN 23

    Backstage: Carbon Aware SDK

    In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the Carbon Aware SDK, a groundbreaking tool enabling developers to reduce software emissions by running workloads where and when energy is greenest. Featuring insights from Vaughan Knight, chair and project lead of the SDK, the episode dives into its origins, real-world applications, challenges, and milestones, including early contributions from UBS and Microsoft and its recent 1.7 release with NPM and Java libraries. Learn about how the SDK supports Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) metrics, practical examples of carbon-aware workload scheduling, and the roadmap for expanding developer resources and geolocation-based solutions.

    13 min

  7. JAN 16

    Deep Green Technologies

    In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Adams sits down with Mark Bjornsgaard of Deep Green to explore a transformative approach to data center design and sustainability. Mark shares insights into how Deep Green reimagines traditional data centers by co-locating them in urban areas to provide heat reuse for facilities like swimming pools, district heating systems, and industrial processes. They discuss the challenges of planning and policy, the rise of high-density computing driven by AI, and the potential for data centers to become integral components of community infrastructure. Tune in to learn about the intersection of digital innovation and environmental responsibility, and how new business models can turn waste into opportunity.

    45 min

  8. JAN 9

    Finding Signal Amongst the Noise in Carbon Aware Software

    In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Adams is joined by Tammy Sukprasert, a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to dive deep into her research on carbon-aware computing. Tammy explores the concept of shifting computing workloads across time and space to reduce carbon emissions, focusing on the benefits and limitations of this approach. She explains how moving workloads to cleaner regions or delaying them until cleaner energy sources are available can help cut emissions, but also discusses the challenges that come with real-world constraints like server capacity and latency. Together they discuss the findings from her recent papers, including the differences between average and marginal carbon intensity signals and how they impact decision-making. The conversation highlights the complexity of achieving carbon savings and the need for better metrics and strategies in the world of software development.

    35 min
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    About

    Each episode we discuss the latest news regarding how to reduce the emissions of software and how the industry is dealing with its own environmental impact. Brought to you by The Green Software Foundation.

    Information

    • Creator
      Green Software Foundation
    • Years Active
      2022 - 2025
    • Episodes
      101
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © Green Software Foundation
    • Show Website
      Environment Variables

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