Similar questions have been asked before. The short answer is that the research will be done anyway, so it doesn't matter on an individual basis. Then, if you follow the WCG suggestion of only running the client during your normal computer use, then nearly all the energy used is energy that would otherwise be wasted.

Finally, I consider environmental responsibility to be a separate question from humanitarian relief. To avoid damaging the environment, we should watch our energy use in all areas, and question the sources of our energy supply. Switching off a couple of conventional lightbulbs will compensate for the total power drawn by a computer - computing isn't the biggest drain on our natural resources.

So, be responsible: switch off your monitor, use your computer's power saving features, don't leave it stuck in "standby". And don't worry about WCG. After all, when your computer is stuck in sleep mode, it is drawing power for no reason at all. You might as well have turned it off.

Hi,

We are running our systems on "Green Energy ".

I don't know about the situation in many other countries, but here in Western Europe most people have the option to run on "normal" or Green Energy, i.e. from wind, water and solar sources. It is quite heavily subsidised too; on average it is just a few percent more expensive than normal.
So I don't mind leaving our systems on for some more hours per day crunching away on medicines for such important goals. I think the few euros per year that will cost me are well spent.

The thread on WCG costs in thread=2189#12870 might also be helpful.

Marc (from the Netherlands)