Indeed RicktheBrick however you haven't considered the whole environmental equation.

First the new Super Computer has to be built at great environmental cost mining the raw materials refining them and producing the hardware

All of the computers on the World Community Grid already exist so the additional impact on the Planet of the WCG = Nil

The new Super Computer needs housing so a new purpose built building has to be constructed at great environmental cost

All the computers on the World Community Grid live in peoples existing houses and offices so the additional impact on the Planet of the WCG Computer housing = Nil

The new Super Computer needs extensive cooling as all of those processors in one spot need active cooling which takes additional power

All of the processors on the WCG distribute their heat into peoples houses and offices and except in really warm climes that additional heat is appreciated - keeps your toes warm on a cold winter night. So arguably cuts down on your heating bill. By comparison to active cooling handy additional warming is even less than Nil

Super Computers need new power infrastructure to deliver the Megawatts required into a specific building so that's additional infrastructure required at great environmental cost

The computers on the WCG use standard pre-existing household and office power infrastructure so the addition impact on the Planet = Nil

Then there's the power bill itself. Dedicated Super Computers are as you say more efficient per watt

However just to type this post and do everything else that is useful with a PC takes power. Power that is already being used by the PC's that are part of the WCG.

So... that MIPS per Watt figure may not be as great as the most efficient Super Computer .... but how much extra power has been expended to run the WCG on pre-existing hardware in pre-existing buildings on pre-existing power infrastructure using watts that produce heat that isn't being provided to keep those houses and offices warm from other sources ?

..and that's the true environmental cost of the WCG

I think it's a price worth paying (even at twice the electricity price of the USA )

And that's not to say that Super Computers aren't awesome or immensely useful to Society, just like the Science that is being achieved here on the World Community Grid.

Our Computer resource is a gift to the Scientists who are unable to justify or have the resource to purchase a dedicated Super Computer.

Without our contribution (and the support of the IBM crew) there would be no Cancer, HIV, Malaria/Dengue, Muscular Dystrophy, Enhanced Rice Yield, More efficient water filtration, more efficient solar panels, Schistosoma, Leishmaniasis, Proteome Folding and Genome Comparison, Influenza and Climate Change research being achieved for these Scientists and Humanity.

I'd say that because of this the World Community Grid with all of it's volunteers is effectively priceless.

But if you don't think so ... oh hum.

Dave

(slight edits for grammar, clarification and balance )

Ah the [3] pennies dropped

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jun/26/george-osborne-freezes-fuel-duty

3 pennies per litre the fools had thought they would be able to get away with in August

It has come down from it's peak of 139.9 uk pennies per litre to around the 131 mark but even so that makes a US Gallon equivalent price of $7.76 in the UK

as Gerald pointed out previously he wouldn't be able to work if Gasoline was at that price

that 3p per litre planned increase would have been 3.6p inc VAT which is another 21.3 cents on a US Gallon of Petrol !!

Of course it wasn't tenable. Which muppet thought it was?

More On The Oklahoma Big Lie Of 2011
Posted on June 26, 2012

I did some more math to check the claims that last July in Oklahoma was the hottest month in US history. The BS is worse than it seems.

Meeker Oklahoma USHCN Temperatures
Month Year Average Max Mean Average Min
August 1913 106.4 89.5 72.2
August 1936 105.8 90.1 73.7
July 2011 101.9 89.0 75.6

Meeker is the closest USHCN station to Oklahoma City. Daytime temperatures were much higher in both 1913 and 1936, mean temperatures were higher in both 1913 and 1936, and UHI made nighttime temperatures warmer in 2011.

But it gets worse. August 1913 had five consecutive days over 110 and a total of 22 days over 110. August 1936 had six consecutive days over 110. July, 2011 had zero days over 110 degrees. 1913 and 1936 were both much hotter than 2011.

1913 was also the year that California set the hottest temperature ever measured this side of the Atlantic – 134F.http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2012/06/26...oklahoma-big-lie-of-2011/

That's another Coal Fired Power Station not going to be built in the UK

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environmen...ion-plan-dropped.17985313

The lights will start going off soon

Hopefully Hunterston B Nuclear Station at the site will be decommissioned in 2016 but that capacity will not be replaced with a conventional power station.

The UK is stealthily re-entering the Dark Ages. A once great power left without any.

Now in less than 1000 words tell me why it is that Coal Power Stations are no longer financially viable in the UK?

OK make it 10,000

So it's Wimbledon and the roof is in action on the centre court

So that's Climate perfectly normal.... still