Amazon and Greenpeace in war of words over cloud power

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Greenpeace have become embroiled in another slanging match over the cloud provider's green credentials, due its supposed lack of energy-efficient data centres to power its services.

In recent weeks rivals to Amazon such as Apple and Microsoft have been praised by Greenpeace for plans to utilise renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, while at the same time Greenpeace criticised Amazon for failing to follow suit.

Now, in its most recent attack, senior energy campaigner at Greenpeace David Pomerantz, has used the availaibility of the Amazon Fire Phone to criticise the company, calling it a 'stone-age' machine with regards how its cloud-hosted services are powered.

'Cloud-based storage of photos and other smartphone data doesn't have to harm the environment: Apple, in stark contrast to Amazon, is powering its iCloud with 100 percent renewable energy,' he said.

'If Amazon wants to offer its customers a modern phone, it could start by powering its operations with modern, renewable forms of electricity like the wind and solar power currently being employed by its competitors.'

However, Amazon hit back, telling V3 that Greenpeace's information is 'inaccurate and misleading' and ignores the facts Amazon has already provided.

The firm said: 'AWS has been and continues to be committed to working hard on our own, and together with our power providers all over the world, to offer AWS Cloud services in an environmentally friendly way.

'AWS operates efficient and highly utilised data centres across 10 different regions globally, two of which (Oregon and GovCloud regions) use 100 percent carbon-free power.'

This is not the first time the two organisations have disagreed this year, after a Greenpeace report in April slammed Amazon for its lack of green energy use. At the time AWS hit back, accusing Greenpeace of ignoring key data.