Social Networking Site Turns to Coal for Energy Resource-

Facebook, the social networking giant, has turned to a coal-firing power plant to maintain their data center in Prineville, Oregon despite claims that the center would utilize renewable energy resources. Hydro power, a clean and renewable source of energy, is made available through the local Bonneville Power Administration (BPA); however, as costs continue on the up-and-up due to demand, it has evidently made more business sense to move forward using cut-rate coal. In fact, according to Treehugger, the BPA will be initiating two-tier pricing for new customers to offset costs of non-hydro power generation, with increases from 2 cents per kWh to 6-7 cents. Facebook isn’t shunning environmentally-responsible options entirely though, as its Prineville center will employ an outside air intake system to cool data servers – helping to lower their carbon footprint. Many believe these diminutive attempts to be futile, still, seeing that dirty coal contributes over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, 12 million tons of sulfur dioxide, as well as 7 million tons of nitrogen dioxides on an annual basis – and, to boot, coal extraction methods are barbaric, crude and detrimental to surrounding ecosystems. Green Energy News tried to contact Facebook for a comment, however the company does not offer telephone support at this time. CALL TO ACTION: E-mail Facebook at info@facebook.com and urge them to stop using dirty coal so America can look toward a more sustainable future.