Green tech: Just hype?

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>> Sumi Das: Hello. I'm Sumi Das for ZDNet. Joining us today is Larry Dingman, our editor in chief. Thanks for being with us.

>> Larry Dingman: Any time.

>> Sumi Das: OK. So you have some strong thoughts about green technology. I want to hear them.

>> Larry Dingman: Well, as recently, I oracled phonetic Open World, and at the Mosconi assumed spelling Center, and it's hard not to be green there because they have compostable cups, and everything's green and. And it's fascinating because on the East Coast, in New York, PA, etc. there, there seems to be quite a disconnect between what's going on out here versus what's going on out there.

>> Sumi Das: I lived in D.C. for two years, and I couldn't even find a, it was hard for me to find -

>> Larry Dingman: Yes.

>> Sumi Das: A recycling bin.

>> Larry Dingman: So, I guess what I'm thinking is, you know, are, is the green tech bubble out here, which everyone's wrapping themselves in green. All the technology vendors are doing that. What's the gap between the actual execution of this stuff and what seem to be reality out here? So I'm just sort of wondering, you know, is it hype? Will this thing actually as capital budgets get constrained, is everybody going to stay on the green bandwagon? Just, just sort of questioning the, not the movement per se and not what it's trying to do, but you know, the reality versus the reality here. And it seems to be pretty far apart to me.

>> Sumi Das: OK. But, but you won't dispute that there's a real issue here. I mean, you know, two and a half percent of the world's electricity is used for data centers. That's a sizable chunk, and -

>> Larry Dingman: Yes.

>> Sumi Das: Why not try to bring that down? Why not try to make data centers more efficient, which is what a lot of green technology is trying to do?

>> Larry Dingman: Yeah. I'm not saying walk away from it, but, but I think, I've, I've went to a couple of the panels where they were talking about the economics and, you know, saving the world and all that good stuff, and you know, one of the IT guys in the audience asked a simple question. He, he just raised his hand, and said, "How do I implement this stuff?" And to implement the stuff, you need a budget, and the economy's tight, getting tighter, and I'm just wondering how this stuff get, it almost, it almost seems like green tech is becoming a lot of marketing, and I don't know if that limits the effectiveness of what it tries to do. And it, and it also, the other thing that, I'm just connecting a few dots here, but it really seems like the Bay Area is really pushing green tech because partially, you know, it's good to save the world. And the other part is just the bubble, and are they trying to manufacture the next growth engine for the area.

>> Sumi Das: The feeling is, is probably, I would imagine though, is that somebody has to sort of pave the way. Somebody has to adopt the technology first. So -

>> Larry Dingman: Yeah.

>> Sumi Das: What, what it's capable of doing?

>> Larry Dingman: Yeah. And, and we're seeing some of that. We're seeing DuPont do neat stuff. We're seeing, you know, a lot of the big tech companies are have their sustainability reports and all that. But you know, for the rank and file IT buyer, you know, you've got your budget first. You've got your CFO breathing down your neck for cost cuts, and you know, sure you can turn to green tech to save some of the electric bill or whatever, but I just think it's, it's going to become a more difficult sell than the marketing that's been put out there to date.

>> Sumi Das: OK. I think we're landing on two separate sides of this issue here.

>> Larry Dingman: Yes.

>> Sumi Das: We won't solve it today.

>> Larry Dingman: To inaudible.

>> Sumi Das: Exactly. For more information about green tech or anything else happening in the tech community, head to blogs at zdnet.com.

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==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====