Environment Variables
Backstage: Awesome Green Software
November 7, 2024
In this episode of Backstage, we go backstage with the Awesome Green Software (AGS) project, a pioneering initiative from the Green Software Foundation’s Open Source Working Group. Project leads Ahmad Antar and Abid Ali, along with contributor Josh Rauvola, share how AGS is building a centralized platform for developers to access tools, libraries, and frameworks to create greener, more sustainable software. They discuss the innovative tech behind AGS, the project’s progress toward launch, and its potential to make green software development accessible to organizations worldwide.
In this episode of Backstage, we go backstage with the Awesome Green Software (AGS) project, a pioneering initiative from the Green Software Foundation’s Open Source Working Group. Project leads Ahmad Antar and Abid Ali, along with contributor Josh Rauvola, share how AGS is building a centralized platform for developers to access tools, libraries, and frameworks to create greener, more sustainable software. They discuss the innovative tech behind AGS, the project’s progress toward launch, and its potential to make green software development accessible to organizations worldwide.

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TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Chris Skipper: Welcome to Environment Variables, where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Chris Skipper. On this episode, we have another edition of Backstage. Here, we'll take you behind the scenes at the Green Software Foundation to highlight ongoing projects and share insights from the members directly involved.

Today, we're diving into the Awesome Green Software Project, an exciting initiative curated by the Green Software Foundation's open source working group. Today, project leads Ahmad Antar and Abid Ali have provided us with some informative content and along with some soundbites from contributor Josh Rauvola to give us the lowdown on the collection of tools, libraries, and frameworks designed to help developers create greener, more sustainable software.

So, what makes this amazing, nay awesome, collection of green software resources tick? Let's explore that in this backstage episode. The GSF is all about building software that emits less carbon. Awesome Green Software fulfills that by creating a one stop shop which compiles research, tools, code, libraries, and training from volunteers that will be used for building applications that emit less carbon into our atmosphere.

There aren't too many tools available today that organizations can use to ensure their software is following sustainability principles. But, Awesome Green Software aims to fill that void. The GSF has the Impact Framework and the Software Carbon Intensity Specification, the SCI. And now, Awesome Green Software to provide that support.

As previously mentioned, Awesome Green Software brings research and resources that will be available at one place for organizations to access, hence reducing their efforts and time to find these tools and rather focus their efforts on building impactful software. Awesome Green Software was an idea that the GSF wanted to start for a while.

GSF member Digital Emissions took the initiative and is bringing it to reality. They have made a lot of progress over the last few months. The front end and back end are almost ready, and they are getting ready to start testing soon. Awesome Green Software is still in the developmental phases, but once it's ready to launch, We are expecting many contributors from the GSF and beyond to start contributing impactful code, tools, and utilities.

It will have a great impact on the overall community because currently it is not easy to find such tools in one place. Next, I'd like to play you a soundbite from Josh. We asked him the question, what are some of the key challenges you've encountered while developing the Awesome Green Software project?

And how did you and your team work to overcome them?

Josh Rauvola: Well, one of the main challenges we've faced is consolidating a vast amount of information and resources into a single user friendly platform. There's so much valuable content out there, but it's scattered across various sources. Organizing it in a way that's easily accessible to developers and other people was a significant task.

We also had to ensure that integrating technologies like Notion for content management and Algolia for search, which we can get into later, would provide a seamless user experience. To overcome these challenges, our team focused on building a solid backend and frontend infrastructure. We've been meticulous in our approach, and we're excited to get this project out into the hands of people that truly care about the environment.

Chris Skipper: With such a comprehensive list of tools and resources, the Awesome Green Software Project provides a bird's eye view of everything related to sustainable software out there on the internet. Can you explain some of the methods that you used to compile such a comprehensive list?

Josh Rauvola: Certainly. One innovative approach we're taking is leveraging powerful AI search capabilities through Algolia. This allows users to quickly find the tools and resources they need to build sustainable software. We're also using Notion as a content management system, which simplifies the process, for contributors to add and update resources in the directory.

By combining these technologies with modern front end frameworks, we're creating a responsive and efficient platform that not only compiles existing resources, but also encourages community engagement and contributions. We're all about being as efficient as possible, so we utilized some of the tools provided on our platform to align better with our awesome green software goals.

Chris Skipper: Could you highlight some of the specific tools, technologies, or frameworks included in the Awesome Green Software Project? What are some of your favorites? And how do they support the project's sustainability goals?

Josh Rauvola: That's a great question. The project includes a variety of tools like the Carbon Aware SDK, which helps developers make their applications carbon aware by optimizing energy consumption based on grid carbon intensity. We also feature tools like Scaphandre, a power monitoring agent that helps measure the energy consumption of servers.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the CodeCarbon.io library. It allows developers to track and reduce CO2 emissions from their computing by integrating seamlessly within their code. These tools support our sustainability goals by providing practical solutions that developers can implement to reduce the carbon footprint of their software.

Chris Skipper: The final question we put to Josh was, throughout the development of the Awesome Green Software project, What valuable lessons or insights have you gained that could benefit other organizations aiming to promote sustainable software?

Josh Rauvola: Well, one of the most valuable lessons we've learned is the importance of accessibility and community engagement. Only by the amazing support of the Green Software Foundation and the team at Digital Emissions have we been able to create such a wonderful platform. Creating a centralized platform where resources are shared.

Green software, easily accessible, significantly lowers the barrier for organizations to adopt sustainable practices. By making it easier for developers to find and use these tools, we encourage wider adoption of green software practices. Now all we need to do is get the word out. I'm sure this podcast will go a long way in doing so.

Chris Skipper: Yes, hopefully it does. I'd like to extend a big thank you to Ahmad, Abid, and Josh for sharing their valuable insights on the Awesome Green Software project. It's evident that this initiative goes beyond just providing resources. Thank you. It's about creating a comprehensive platform where developers can easily access tools, libraries, and frameworks to build greener, more sustainable software.

From their use of innovative technologies like Algolia and Notion to the thoughtful selection of carbon tracking tools, Ahmad, Abid, and Josh have shown us how AGS will make a real difference for organizations like yours. Aiming to reduce their software's carbon footprint. Their dedication to making the Awesome Green Software project a one stop shop is inspiring.

And it's exciting to hear about the milestones reached so far. With the front and back end nearly ready, and testing just around the corner, the team's focus on accessibility and community engagement will undoubtedly drive broader adoption of sustainable software practices as more contributors join after the launch.

We can't wait to see how AGS will shape the green software landscape and empower developers worldwide. slide. Now, before we finish this episode of Backstage, we have a few events to read out. Firstly, a free in person event, Green Gaming with Strategies, on November the 9th at 9am CET in Katowice, Poland.

Learn how the gaming industry contributes to and can mitigate its environmental footprint. Next up, we have Implications of AI related data center electricity use and emissions. A hybrid event happening on November the 12th to the 13th in Washington DC. Explore how to map, measure and mitigate the impacts of AI data center electricity usage.

Next up, a virtual event titled Digital Impact Pitch on November the 20th at 6. 30pm CET. This virtual event will help you discover what is the impact of our daily use of digital technologies. And finally, the Green Waves Hackathon closing day on November the 22nd at 8. 30am CET at TU Delft in the Netherlands.

Network, get talks and celebrate the ideas created during the hackathon. This event is your opportunity to experience the most innovative solutions developed by the Green Waves Hackathon participants. Whether you're passionate about sustainable IT or water research, This closing day will showcase the cutting edge ideas that can help reduce environmental impact.

Join us for a day packed with insightful presentations, live demos, and the excitement of the awards ceremony. Links to all the events and the resources mentioned in the show will be in the show notes below this podcast episode. So, we've reached the end of this special backstage episode. I hope you enjoyed the podcast.

To listen to more podcasts about Green Software, please visit podcast. greensoftware.foundation and we'll see you on the next episode. Bye for now!



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