This is a case study I had worked on as a first year MIM student at University of Maryland (College Park), while studying INFM612 (Management of Information Programs and Services), taught by Dr. Ping Wang - a wonderful Professor.

1. INFM612: Case Study 2 Name: Pujita Tipnis UID: <deleted>

2. Does it matter : How Facebook sources its power for its data centers ?
Yes, it does matter
Facebook, being a big brand, must set an example to its users
Being a user makes one contribute to its wrong doing
Each individual equally responsible to protect environment
Dirtying the environment leads to even more illnesses and diseases
Need, for saving a clean planet for our future generations
FB= Facebook; Bn= Billion; ~1.05 lbs. of coal is required to generate 1 kWh of electricity2; predicted usage of elec.0
0
1000
2000
3000
2010
2015
2020
Usage in
bn kWh…
1.49 bn Active
FB users1
1308.6 bn kWh of electricity
is used by
922.168 lbs. of coal
Single FB user
878.255 kWh
of electricity
bnkWhofelectricity->
Year ->
uses

3. Criteria providing tipping point
FB’s ill environmental actions encourages users to do the same
If users don’t do anything about it -> More users feel ok to join FB
More power needed for data centers = more coal = more CO2 in the atmosphere =
climate change + diseases + eventual species extinction
A few responsible people cannot contribute much -> Larger crowd needed to
make the change. That’s where FB can cause a positive impact
If FB does nothing = users can’t do much = everyone gets negatively impacted
eventually
GLOBAL
BRAND
HIGH
POPULARITY
INFLUENTIAL
is
More users = more coal and also = more money for FB
users

4. Facebook: Setting an environmental example for the growing IT industry
Yes, FB has an ethical obligation to use its purchasing power, global brand and
corporate influence to set an environmental example for the rest of the growing IT
industry
FB must Lead By Example
Purchasing Power
Opt for environment-friendly options to power data centers, even if expensive
Invest in performing research to identify better and optimal ways to generate
clean energy
Acquire companies that promote and help become eco-friendly instead of those
that already have a major carbon footprint
Freedom to control location of and methods adopted to building infrastructure
Thereby, encourage other IT giants to follow the lead

5. Global Brand
More a global brand, more the impact on users and organizations
Social responsibility3
Maintain good reputation
Be sensitive to public sentiment. Going against some, could lead to possible financial
loss
Exhibit good corporate citizenship4
Corporate Influence
Influence competitors and other organizations by setting good example
Promote environment-friendliness over website to influence users
Adopt as organizational culture and values, instilling it into employees
More the people influenced, more the people to follow the lead.
More the people who follow, more the organizations to be impacted

6. History of the ‘Unfriend Coal’ Campaign & Greenpeace’s tactics
Jan 2010: Start talks on their website about rumors of Facebook building a new data
center that would run on power generated by a power plant that primarily uses
coal5
(Jan 21, 2010: FB announces its decision to open a new data center in Prineville,
OR)
Feb 2010: GP begin their protest against FB; Call the cause “Unfriend Coal”
Unknown date: GP creates a Facebook group page to educate and provide frequent
updates to its users about FB’s latest decision
(July 2010: FB decides to double the size of the new data center which meant using
more coal)
Sept 1, 2010: GP’s Intl. Exec. Dir., Kumi Naidoo, writes a letter to FB CEO, Mark
Zuckerberg, “expressing disappointment at FB’s latest decision” thereby requesting
Mark to “take a leadership position in addressing climate change” [From case-study]
(Sept 2, 2010: FB’s Dir. of Policy Communications, Barry Schnitt, responds to media
by stating that decisions were made with energy efficiency in mind and later
responds on GP’s website, pointing out that GP too, operated on rented servers
whose data centers consumed coal6)
Sept 16, 2010: Despite Schnitt’s response, GP posts an animated video depicting
FB’s wrong decision related to building a non-environment-friendly data centerFB= Facebook; GP= Greenpeace; Points in ‘( )’ refer to actions taken by FB

7. Greenpeace tactic representing greatest threat to FB’s reputation
Immediately caught media’s attention
Through previous tactics, audience was limited to GP supporters on its website as
well as FB
Through this tactic, news would reach larger audience via the media
Larger the audience, more the reputation of FB at stake due to negative attention
from media and consumers
Thus, greater the pressure on FB to respond to GP in order to mitigate further
tarnishing of its reputation
Kumi Naidoo posting his letter to Mark Zuckerberg over GP’s Facebook page

8. Actions Facebook Management should initiate going forward
Increase use of clean energy and reduce carbon footprint7
Keep users informed about the way it powers its service8
Advocate use of clean energy at local, national and international levels9
Invest in doing research on ways to decrease carbon footprint
Partner with companies that share same (environmental) beliefs and values
Opt to do business with / consult organizations that are dedicated towards
promoting ways to use clean energy
Set an example by building environment-friendly workspace and promoting values
through organizational culture
Can choose to fund organizations that strive towards protecting the environment

9. References
0 Case study
1 Total Facebook monthly active users: http://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-
active-facebook-users-worldwide/ accessed on Sept 19, 2015
2 How much coal is used to generate a kilowatthour of electricity:
http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=667&t=2 accessed on Sept 19, 2015
3 Harvard Business Review: Global Branding
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/4377.html accessed on Sept 19, 2015
4 Case study
5 Greenpeace website – ‘Unfriend Coal’ page:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/ITs-carbon-
footprint/Facebook/ accessed on Sept 19, 2015
6 Greenpeace website – Barry Schnitt’s response:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/Cool-IT/executive-director-of-greenpeace-to-ceo-
of-fa/blog/26324/ accessed on Sept 19, 2015
7,8,9 Case-study

10. Image Links
Cover page image:
http://previews.123rf.com/images/cienpies/cienpies1308/cienpies130801105/21599989-Eco-global-green-
planet-earth-trees-continents-wind-turbines-and-green-sun-illustration-Vector-layer-Stock-Vector.jpg
Tiny leaves in circle 1: http://www.satel-sa.com/images/icono-medio-ambiente.png
Facebook Like Logo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
07BJoeqMBvw/VL_u_CQ7JlI/AAAAAAAAXsw/xKIlEcUkTkY/s1600/facebook%2Blike%2Blogo.png
Facebook logo: http://www.mcgill.ca/edu-ecp/files/edu-
ecp/styles/wysiwyg_medium/public/facebook.png?itok=Ho9eyiyH
Users clipart: http://www.clker.com/cliparts/s/M/N/e/K/P/three-users-icon-th.png
Tiny leaves in circle 2: http://ondamedia.com/personaltransporter/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/iconos-
17.png
Facebook unlike logo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qTZd5kDi-QY/Uw-
B6MTrP4I/AAAAAAAAMt4/wtNO4wz4hys/s1600/facebook-logo-png-transparent-background-i3.png
Green leaf 1: http://www.i2clipart.com/cliparts/1/3/c/5/clipart-leaf-256x256-13c5.png
Light green FB logo: http://www.uccs.edu/Images/gaf/facebook_green_icon.png
Globe : http://pre12.deviantart.net/933c/th/pre/i/2015/048/f/a/globe_clipart_by_marinka7-d8idv04.png
Dark green FB logo: http://www.bluderstreeservice.com/0.buttons/green_facebook_logo2.png
Green leaf 2: http://www.cliparthut.com/clip-arts/852/leaf-clip-art-852823.png
Windmill image: http://sweetclipart.com/multisite/sweetclipart/files/windmills_on_hill.png
Camera: http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/9i4/o4X/9i4o4XE5T.png
Coal image: http://www.clker.com/cliparts/i/3/d/R/8/H/coal-train-wagon-hi.png
Single user icon: http://cliparts.co/cliparts/8iA/bAk/8iAbAkp8T.png

11. Thank You !