If we learned one thing at last month's Green IT Expo in London it’s that irony is alive and well and appears to be the most sustainable of all energy supplies, powering entire marketing departments in some cases.

The event took place in London and on the surface appeared like any other IT show, right down to the box-loads of plastic toys and glossy brochures to hand out on the show floor.

The irony of this was lost on the many exhibitors handing out plastic toys, stress balls, gadgets and gizmos to bring traffic to their stand. Once there, attendees had thick glossy brochures thrust into their hands.

The leaflet litter about the place was considerable.

For two days, the Barbican became the place where paper and PVC went to die. It was an elephants’ graveyard of sustainability best practice gone wrong.

Meanwhile we only handed out apples.
 
I mention this not to score points but to kick-start a conversation about a problem which still dogs the IT industry: the tendency to talk a good game, as though it’s possible that we can advertise and market our way to a greener future.

One simple fact to consider: IT can never put our impact on the environment in credit.  Green IT is a myth. Greener IT, however, is a little more pragmatic and a worthy goal.

A version of this post first appeared on Greenbang.com, written by Lumison CEO, Aydin Kurt-Elli.