Goodpods logo
Goodpods

Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Environment Variables

Environment Variables

Green Software Foundation

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.
bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Environment Variables Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Environment Variables episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Environment Variables for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Environment Variables episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Environment Variables - The Week in Green Software: Obscuring AI's Real Carbon Footprint

The Week in Green Software: Obscuring AI's Real Carbon Footprint

Environment Variables

play

09/19/24 • 43 min

Host Chris Adams is joined by Asim Hussain to dive into The Week in Green Software, exploring the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence and how the growing adoption of AI technology affects carbon emissions, as well as the growing complexities in the measurement and reduction of these. They discuss a primer on AI's direct environmental footprint, regulatory trends in Europe and the US, and the complexities surrounding the renewable energy credits tech companies use to offset emissions. The conversation touches on real-time cloud data initiatives, carbon accounting in AI, and the future challenges of balancing sustainability with technological innovation.
Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:News:Events:Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Asim Hussain: Three, four years ago, everybody treated all carbon offsets the same. They didn't realize there was nuance between them. Now that's changed. Everybody needs to now pay attention to the same thing in terms of renewable energy. If you do not pay attention to the fact that there is a lot of ...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - How do we Teach Green Software?

How do we Teach Green Software?

Environment Variables

play

07/25/22 • 42 min

👉 State of Green Software Survey - click this link to access! 👈
The future of Green Software lies in education. In this episode host Chris Adams is joined by Luis Cruz of TU Delft and Sara Bergman of Microsoft as they discuss how to teach and learn to make Green Software. With Luis’ unique insight as a professor, he is able to bring us up to date with pedagogical approaches that are laying the groundwork for future software engineers.
Learn more about our guests:

Episode resources:

People to follow doing relevant work in this field:

If you enjoyed this episode then please either:

Transcript Below:
Luis Cruz: If you want to change the generation of software engineers, you need to change the mindset of their leaders and you need to start earlier....
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - Decarbonize Software 2023 Preview with Adam Jackson

Decarbonize Software 2023 Preview with Adam Jackson

Environment Variables

play

09/14/23 • 30 min

Decarbonize Software 2023:Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Adam Jackson: But really this year's event is about our community and the stories they have to share. We're interested in seeing what people have done with green software in 2023. But yeah, the theme is about, the theme of the event is about empowering software practitioners to decarbonize sotware and to build communities and we want to see what people have done.
Chris Skipper: Welcome to this episode of Environment Variables. I'm your host, Chris Skipper, and in this episode, we will be discussing the upcoming Decarbonize Software 2023 event with the Green Software Foundation's Community Project Manager, Adam Jackson. Hello, Adam, and welcome to Environment Variables.
Adam Jackson: Hi, Chris. I'm really excited to be here.
Chris Skipper: Great, good to have you, and Just before we dive into the meat of this podcast for our listeners, could you please introduce yourself?
Adam Jackson: Yeah, absolutely. So I'm Adam Jackson. I'm the Community Project Manager at the Green Software Foundation. Really excited to be here, as I said. I've been with the Green Software Foundation a few months now. I've also got my own little company helping tech companies connect their communities. And I've recently been involved in setting up a bunch of green software meetups around the world.
Chris Skipper: Awesome for those who don't know me, I'm Chris Skipper. I can't say my name apparently. And I'm the podcast producer of Environment Variables. And a veritable noob when it comes to green software, and in fact, all things software. Um, but I feel like I have acquired a lot of knowledge about the subject that would hopefully make me a good addition to any pub quiz team.
Now, before we dive in, here's a reminder that everything we talk about will be linked in the show notes below this episode. So, to kick us off, I've got a really simple question for you. Let's talk about what your role is like at the Green Software Foundation. I know you've said, how long did you say you've been part of the Green Software Foundation
Adam Jackson: Now, four, four and a half months now.
Chris Skipper: four and a half months, so relatively green to the Green Software Foundation, but then again, the organization itself is also quite young. What does being the community project manager at the GSF entail and what are your responsibilities and goals in the role?
Adam Jackson: Uh, yeah, sure. So it's, it's quite a broad role, um, because community is a very big part of the Green Software...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - The Week in Green Software: Generative AI and Cloud Zombies

The Week in Green Software: Generative AI and Cloud Zombies

Environment Variables

play

04/12/23 • 26 min

Chris Adams is joined by cloud sustainability advocate and founder of Cloud Sustainably, Aerin Booth in this episode of TWiGS brought to you by the Green Software Foundation. On this episode Aerin provides his insight into the cloud to discuss cloud zombies, the effect that generative AI is having on the environment and exciting developments from Xbox (including a list of some of Aerin’s favourite nostalgic games!). We also touch on GreenOps and the future for green software developers.
Learn more about our people:

Find out more about the GSF:

News:Events:Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:

Transcript Below:
Aerin Booth: When I think about anything we choose to do, not only in terms of carbon and IT, but in our life, if it doesn't have purpose, it's almost a waste. And we forget that we're not really building things for ourselves in technology. We're trying to build services for one, helps people in their day-to-day lives and hopefully save the freaking planet in the next upcoming climate change catastrophe the rest of our lives.
Chris Adams: Hello and welcome to Environment Variables, brought to you by the Green Software Foundation. In each episode, we discuss the latest news and events surrounding green software. On our show, you can expect candid conversations with top experts in their field who have a passion for how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of software.
I'm your host, Chris Adams. Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Week in Green Software, where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Chris Adams, and in this episode we'll be discussing generative AI worrying impact that I could be having on the environment.
We'l...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - Greening Low Code

Greening Low Code

Environment Variables

play

04/04/24 • 36 min

In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Adams engages in a fascinating discussion with Marjolein Pordon, a quality consultant at Praegus, about the exciting synergy between sustainability and low code platforms. They explore how low code tools not only streamline software development but also play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions. Marjolein shares insights into the early integration of sustainability considerations in the development cycle, and together, they demystify the misconception that companies' unique needs necessitate custom software solutions, highlighting the efficiency and environmental benefits of leveraging shared components in low code environments.
Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:News:Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:Connect with us on Twitter, Github and LinkedIn!
TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Marjolein Pordon: With all the emails we send, inclusive, reply all, the, "yes, I'll see you in a minute." All those kinds of emails, there are 12 000 times from earth to the moon with a car on carbon emission. That's huge.
Chris Adams: Hello, and welcome to Environment Variables, brought to you by the Green Software Foundation. In each episode, we discuss the latest news and events surrounding green software. On our show, you can expect candid conversations with top experts in their field who have a passion for how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of software.
I'm your host, Chris Adams.
Hello, and welcome to another episode of Environment Variables, the podcast where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Chris Adams. When we talk about green software, we often talk about optimizing code we already have, or finding out ways to make the energy we use less carbon intensive.
So for the computation we do end up using, we end up with less pollution in the form of greenhouse gases and so on being emitted as a byproduct of our work. However, there's another way to look at this. If we accept that the most efficient database query possible is one that you don't have to make because you've designed a system not to need them,
then you can argue that the most efficient system can be one that you haven't had to spend loads of time, energy and money building, building an entirely custom version of, because you found an existing set of components that work well together. This is essentially the argument made when pe...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - Fact Check: Ola Fagerström and Microsoft's Surface Emissions Estimator

Fact Check: Ola Fagerström and Microsoft's Surface Emissions Estimator

Environment Variables

play

04/26/23 • 45 min

In this episode, we have a very special guest for an episode of Fact Check on Environmental Variables, Ola Fagerström from Microsoft Surface joins host Asim Hussain to talk about his work on the Microsoft's Surface Emissions Estimator - an important tool that helps measure the carbon footprint of the device. Ola talks about how difficult it was to take into account everything from materials used, to manufacturing, to packaging, and even end-of-life disposal to give an accurate estimate of the emissions produced by each device; and how these principles can be applied to other areas of green software development.
Learn more about our people:

Find out more about the GSF:

Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:

Transcription Below:
Ola Fagerström: When is the first company going to start to say, we only allow eight tabs open? Because if you start to have, I'm just making numbers up, 16 tabs, you might run to your boss and say, Hey, I need a device with the 32 gigs of memory because my memory is constantly filled. Yeah, sorry. We put a policy that you can only have eight tabs open because that will save on the memory, and therefore we can buy cheaper or devices that are actually greener.
Asim Hussain: Hello, and welcome to Environment Variables, brought to you by the Green Software Foundation. In each episode, we discuss the latest news and events surrounding green software. On our show, you can expect candid conversations with top experts in their field who have a passion for how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of software.
I'm your host, Asim Hussain.
So welcome to Environment Variables, where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Asim Hussain. In this episode, we have a very special guest for an episode of Fact check on Environment Variables from Microsoft Surface. We have technology specialist Ola Fagerström.
Ola Fagerström: Hi there, Asim. What a nice, uh, way to get introduced as a special guest and.
Asim Hussain: Probably worse ways of being introduced isn't there? Not so special guest anyway. Ola, like it's great to have you on the show. Obviously we were colleagues at Microsoft, we're both circling kind of the sustainability space. I'm not at Microsoft anymore. So to give our listeners some context, could yo...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - The Week in Green Software: The Sustainable Data Paradox

The Week in Green Software: The Sustainable Data Paradox

Environment Variables

play

10/03/24 • 42 min

This Week in Green Software, the affable Anne Currie is joined by Sara Bergman, Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft and co-author of Building Green Software. Together, they dive into the complexities of sustainable data in relation to AI and cloud computing. They explore the environmental impact of managing and storing vast quantities of data, and question the feasibility of making these processes more eco-friendly. The discussion touches on cloud providers' carbon reporting, the importance of using AI responsibly, and how businesses can optimize their cloud use to minimize their environmental footprint. Tune in for an insightful conversation on balancing technological advancements with sustainability in the age of AI.
Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:News:Events:Resources:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:Connect with us on Twitter, Github and LinkedIn!
TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Sara Bergman: What data do we need to take in order to take meaningful action? Like, what is the level that, of course, yeah, if I could get minute by minute, like there's tons of stuff we could do and correlations we could draw, but what is the level of data that we would need to start taking meaningful action? And I think that could unlock a lot of good things.
Chris Adams: Hello, and welcome to Environment Variables, brought to you by the Green Software Foundation. In each episode, we di...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - Backstage: TOSS Project

Backstage: TOSS Project

Environment Variables

play

10/10/24 • 14 min

In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Skipper introduces "Backstage," a new segment offering behind-the-scenes insights into the Green Software Foundation's key projects. The episode highlights the "Transforming Organizations for Sustainable Software" (TOSS) project, led by Pindy Bhullar, which aims to embed sustainable practices across all aspects of business operations. The TOSS framework, divided into four pillars—strategy, implementation, operations, and compliance—provides organizations with a decision tree approach to drive sustainability in software development and IT. With collaborative efforts, workshops, and real-time feedback, the project is set to release version 1.0, with the ultimate goal of reducing carbon emissions across the industry. Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:Resources:Events:If you enjoyed this episode then please either:Connect with us on Twitter, Github and LinkedIn!
TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Chris Skipper: Welcome to Environment Variables, where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Chris Skipper. Today, we're launching an exciting new segment:
Backstage. Here, we'll take you behind the scenes at the Green Software Foundation to highlight ongoing projects and share insights from the members directly involved.
In the first episode of Backstage, you'll hear about innovative projects shaping the future of green software and the hard work behind it all. It's easy to overlook the complexity and dedication required to drive sustainability in the tech industry. But today, you'll hear more about the passion, thoughtfulness, and expertise that fuels these initiatives.
From collaborative projects to cutting edge research on sustainable computing, the Green Software Foundation is the conversation you need to be part of, and we're bringing you Deep Inside. Join us as we look into the stories, challenges, and triumphs of the people making a real impact on our environment through software.
We're no longer gatekeeping what it takes to set new standards and norms to green software. So, what does it take to inject su...
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - A Greener Internet that Sleeps More

A Greener Internet that Sleeps More

Environment Variables

play

07/25/24 • 59 min

Host Chris Adams and guest Romain Jacob delve into the often-overlooked energy demands of networking infrastructure to discover A Greener Internet that Sleeps More. While AI and data centers usually dominate the conversation, networking still consumes significant power, comparable to the energy usage of entire countries. They discuss innovative practices to make the internet greener, such as putting networks to sleep during low usage periods and extending the life of hardware. Romain talks about his recent Hypnos paper, which won Best Paper at HotCarbon 2024. He shares his team’s award-winning research on how energy demand for networking kit powering the internet can be reduced by simply by powering down links when not in use.
Learn more about our people:Find out more about the GSF:Resources:Other source material: If you enjoyed this episode then please either:TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Romain Jacob: We used to consider that energy is cheap. Energy is there. We don't need to worry too much about it. So it's just simpler to plug the thing in, assume energy is there. You can draw power as much as you want, whenever you want, for as much as you want. And it's time to get away from that.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Environment Variables - Remembering Abhishek Gupta: How does AI and ML Impact Climate Change?

Remembering Abhishek Gupta: How does AI and ML Impact Climate Change?

Environment Variables

play

10/17/24 • 43 min

In this episode, we honor the memory of Abhishek Gupta, who was an instrumental figure in the Green Software Foundation and a Co-Chair of the Standards Working Group. Abhishek's work was pivotal in the development of the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) Specification, now adopted globally. His tireless efforts shaped the future of green software, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. As we remember Abhishek, we reflect on his legacy of sustainability, leadership, and friendship, celebrating the remarkable impact he had on both his colleagues and the world. We are airing an old episode that featured Abhishek Gupta, Episode 5 of Environment Variables. Where host Chris Adams is joined by Will Buchanan of Azure ML (Microsoft), Abhishek Gupta; the chair of the Standards Working Group for the Green Software Foundation and Lynn Kaack, assistant professor at the Hertie School in Berlin to discuss how artificial intelligence and machine learning impact climate change. They discuss boundaries, Jevons paradox, the EU AI Act, inferencing and supplying us with a plethora of materials regarding ML and AI and the climate!
In Memoriam: Abhishek Gupta:

Learn more about our guests:

Find out more about the GSF:Episode resources:

If you enjoyed this episode then please either:Connect with us on
bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

Comments