The energy that research companies use storing

The energy that research companies use storing and transmitting our data is becoming more of an environmental risk, according to a report from environmental group Greenpeace.

The Internet

If the Internet was a country, it would rank fifth in the amount of energy consumed, just behind Japan and Russia, according to the report.

And in the report's ranking of nine major tech companies, Apple's data-storage practices earned the lowest "Clean Energy Index" score.

Apple's 6.7% score was largely based on its 500,000-square-foot facility coming online in Maiden, North Carolina. According to Greenpeace, that facility will consume as much energy as 80,000 homes in the United States, or near a quarter-million in Europe.

"Their models should be employed and improved upon by other Internet companies," Greenpeace said in the report.

The bottom of the list

While Facebook avoided the bottom of the list, Greenpeace says the ever-growing social networking site could be on its way.

"Facebook, one of the fastest growing and most popular destinations on the web, is unfortunately on track to be one of the most dependent cloud computing companies on coal-powered electricity, with over 53% of its facilities estimated to rely on coal to power the Facebook cloud," the report says.