Hello, Filterforgoodians. Let’s play a game. When I say a word, you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Because this is a blog post and not a telephone call, I’ll play by myself. Here goes:

• Dog : Poodle
• Black : White
• Food : Yum
• Google : Internet

I threw that last one in there because Google is the topic of my post today. I stand in awe of Google. I’m a disciple, a true believer. I abandoned all my other e-mail accounts for a Gmail account. I no longer use Microsoft Office; instead I opt for Google Docs. And, I’m losing sleep over whether I should ditch my BlackBerry for a G1 (or an iPhone).

It’s no secret that I love Google. They’re cool, growing, geeky and powerful. It’s that last adjective that I find most intriguing. Google has changed the way we live our lives by changing the way we find information. It’s so big which is why I’m glad it’s sniffing around the green space.

I read this recent article** in the New York Times about Google’s Green Agenda. A few things jumped out at me.

First, the article mentions over and over how Google is intended to make money from its green pursuits, and this actually makes me really happy. Being green just for the sake of being green can feel a little shallow, and a little trendy. The fact that Google is literally putting its money where its mouth is great for all of us, because (besides search) if Google knows how to do one thing well, it’s make money.

The second thing I noticed is that it’s not just geeky, Harvard grads playing around with this idea. Google’s enlisted people who are passionate about making renewable energy affordable, and one could even say as ubiquitous as their search engine. We’re talking high-powered politicos that know how to make things happen, and create change in the world (or at least in D.C.).

The last thing that stood out to me were the numbers. I knew Google was rich, but was happy to learn that they’ve got over $14.5 billion dollars in the bank. That’s a lot of those twisty-spiral light bulbs. Google’s also invested over $45 million into wind, solar and geothermal energy start-ups.

In a few years, we’ll play this word association game again, and the next time I say “Google,” maybe the first thing to come to mind will be “green.” If anyone can do it, they can.

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