Putting a very thin silver lining on the dark cloud of petroleum dependency, Google’s Vint Cerf (who is commonly referred to as the father of the Internet), made a statement at the 2008 OECD Ministerial Meeting in Korea about how high oil prices could be seen as beneficial to the Internet.
“Although I’m not happy with increased oil prices, the Internet (industry) may actually benefit from that as people turn to it as an aid to improve their efficiency,” said Vinton Cerf, vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, at a press conference.
The rise in oil prices is slowing some global economic growth and making it very difficult for those dependent on gas and oil to live, however Google feels that the need for businesses to save money and cut corners may fuel innovation.
“We may turn increasingly to video conferencing or other kinds of electronic media in order to avoid having to travel,” Cerf said.
Cerf also noted that there may be more use of “computational capabilities” for calculating car and aircraft routes to minimize petroleum usage.
High oil prices are also going to have a positive effect on Google outside of their search business, as the company is investing heavily in alternative and practical renewable energy development like solar generators and other utility oriented investments.
