The internet (and the IT monster) behind it consumes energy just like everything else. In fact it consumes quite abit of energy, to the tune of about 1.5% of US electricity usage annually. More than the aviation industry.

But have no fear as there are things you can do to lessen your blogs carbon footprint. Below are a few ideas to get you going.

1. Blog Hosting – Your blog is hosted on a server and these servers use up energy daily. You can however opt to host your blog with an eco friendly host. What makes a hosting company green? In the way it manages its servers and how it conducts business. Some of the more notable green web host providers include Dreamhost, ThinkHost, and Aiso. How do they compare? A few months ago, we did a comparison of the top 7 green webhosts, have a look at the pros and cons of each.

2. Measure Your Blogs Carbon Footprint -A neat service in the form of software now exists that keeps track of the emissions spewed out from any site or blog. This software is called C02 Stats and its purpose is to certify your blog as energy efficient.

Websites are provided by servers and are viewed by clients (visitors’ computers) that are connected via networks. These servers, clients and networks all require electricity in order to run, electricity that is largely generated by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.

Essentially you add a line of code to your blog (in the form of a badge) and this is how the software does its magic. The rest is done behind the scenes. Visitors to your blog get visual proof on how your blog is doing in the green department and showcases how much C02 you have saved. Pretty cool, but the service is not free, there is a small monthly rate.

Another neat thing C02Stats does is make sure your blog runs and loads fast, as this conserves server bandwidth and makes for a more overall energy efficient site.

Those are my tips on how to green your blog. If you have any other smart or creative ideas on how to go green with your site, please share them with everyone below.