>>OTOH, what do you think would have happened if we didn't have the internet? I'd probably have to drive around to find things that I can google out (specially thanks for the maps! saved me hundreds of miles), or visit a dozen stores to buy something I can buy online.
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>In the old days we used the yellow pages and a phone :). Plus, you do have to consider that when you buy something online, there are also greenhouse gases being emitted to get that product to your doorstep: airplanes, UPS truck, etc.

Airplanes would be going this way or other - they'd probably be bringing merchandise that someone MAY buy; at least this way the goods aren't moved until actually purchased, which saves fuel.

Also, UPS truck (just had one today - replacement DVD frying pan) carries parcels for dozens of locations on the same route, maybe making an extra half a mile for my sake, whereas I'd probably visit Office Depot (4 miles), OfficeMax (one more down the road), Radio Shack (which I once did only to find they've closed that shop and drove 5 miles to the next)... generally, I may have made a dozen miles around town looking for a burner.

>I think that is a valid point. I am not at all arguing that the Internet is a bad thing. I think it's utterly fantastic. But, I would be very surprised if any comprehensive study indicated that we are putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere because of it. Servers, routers, cable modems, printers, etc.? That's a lot of electicity I would think.

I wish someone would calculate how much electricity does just plain eye candy consume. The visual gadgets that serve no other purpose but to please the eye and Microsoft's bottom... line. It's already measured for some laptops, how much of battery life is taken by Vista.