The Dark Side of 'The Cloud'

Making News

Al Qaeda Ties to the Libyan Attacks ()

US intelligence agencies now say the attack that killed US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens involved more than reaction to a crude hate film. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that as details emerged, "it became clear that there were terrorists who had planned that attack… As to who was involved, what specific groups were involved, I think the investigation that is ongoing will hopefully determine that." Greg Miller is national security correspondent for the Washington Post.

Guests:

• Greg Miller: Washington Post, @gregpmiller

Links:

• Washington Post on CNN finding Ambassador Stevens' journal

Main Topic

Is Internet Technology Really 'Clean' Technology? ()

Internet companies tell computer users their data is stored on "The Cloud," and a lot of them worry it might be disturbed by the weather. In reality, "The Cloud" is million of severs in hundreds of warehouse-sized buildings that can use enough electricity to power a medium-sized town. The New York Times has created a furor by raising questions about how much energy is wasted to make so much information available 24/7. What about air pollution? Can the IT industry power unstoppable growth, or will it hit a brick wall?

Guests:

• James Glanz: New York Times
• Andrew Blum: Wired magazine, @ajblum
• Jonathan Koomey: Stanford University, @jgkoomey
• Andy Lawrence: Uptime Institute

Links:

• Glanz on 'the cloud factories'
• Glanz on power, pollution and the Internet
• Blum's 'Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet'
• Koomey's 'Cold Cash, Cool Climate: Science-based Advice for Ecological Entrepreneurs'

Reporter's Notebook

'The Lie Factory' and How Politics Became a Business ()

From the local school board to the presidency of the United States, it's become a cliché that political campaigning never ends. What's less often acknowledged is that political consultants don't just run campaigns, they run governments, too. It all started in California back in 1933 with a company that a defeated candidate for governor labeled "the Lie Factory." Between 1933 and 1955, Clem Whitaker and Leone Baxter "shaped the history of California, and of the country. Campaigns, Inc. is shaping American politics still." That's according to Harvard historian Jill Lepore in the New Yorker magazine.

Guests:

• Jill Lepore: Harvard University