Most of us don’t think to consider that big web companies like Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo run their data centers on cheap and cost-efficient coal, effectively polluting our air. As information proliferates and technology continues to develop, so does the need for data centers, which, more often than not, are run on coal. Take the iPad for example – the highly anticipated launch of the Apple’s latest product merited the building of a data warehouse in North Carolina, which (you guessed it) will be dependent on coal. But it seems, as a recent New York Times article points out, that these companies are trying to watch their carbon footprint.  Facebook’s facility is strategically located so that its machines are cooled naturally, Google purchased carbon offsets for emissions and Yahoo is building a data center powered by hydroelectricity (much to the praise of Greenpeace). While the federal debate continues on whether to enforce limits to regulate the use of carbon emitting fuels, we should keep an eye out to see how these companies will lead the green revolution in the telecommunications and data industry.