The Green Seat
The proverbial hot seat, but cool green and with less pressure
We've put Ross Di Stefano, Senior Account Manager for Pillar Data Systems - Canada in the green seat this month to find out what his company is doing to raise its environmental consciousness and what three eco-items he can't live without. We've also asked him if he's watched any good earth-friendly movies lately and if he has a finest, 'green' moment.
What has Pillar done lately to 'green' its business?
If you didn't already know it, data centres are projected to be one of the world's biggest energy users. Pillar's Axiom storage system is at the forefront of the 'green' data centre movement. We've tackled multiple elements of the efficient data center - space, power and cooling - head on in the design and architecture of our offering. When comparing capacity, performance, power and space, Pillar offers an 80 per cent effective utilization rate against an industry average that is half that number.
Do you have any good ideas for how Pillar can celebrate Earth Day this year?
I think it would be great if our office offered to help a nearby school clean up its yard. Donating trees to a nearby school and helping the kids plant some of them on school property would also be a good way to celebrate Earth Day.
What green business practice of Pillar's are you particular proud of?
I would have to say that I'm particularly proud of Pillar's commitment to greening data centres. A green data centre is the right response to the pressures of finite energy supplies and the demand for good corporate citizenship. By delivering mul¬tiple tiers of storage in a single platform that offers low power consumption and is efficiently-sized, Pillar provides dramatically lower power and cooling costs, and reclaims valuable data center space.
The last green movie I watched is:
An Inconvenient Truth
I'm enjoying it because: It takes the viewers through the data and science of global warming, demonstrating cause and effect and noting its present and future impacts. It's backed by great pictures, charts and graphs. The result is 100 per cent convincing, showing global warming to be not just an environmental issue, but a threat to our way of life - perhaps even to life itself.
Three green items I can't live without are: My recycling bins; energy efficient light bulbs; and reusable canvas shopping bags that I get a discount for using when I shop at Fortinos!
The best environmental act I have ever done is: I would have to say that changing my daily lifestyle to be more earth-friendly and setting an example for my kids in this way is the best environmental act I've ever done. However, I did help clean up a lake for an entire weekend in grade 13.
Here are some other articles you might enjoy from the February 2009 Ranger Report: