Web hosting companies are going “green” left or right. The entire business world for that matter is going “green”. The truth is, this is often nothing more than a simple business decision aimed at winning new customer. While it may have positive effects for the environment, it is a cold hard business decision that is being predicted to increase profits.

For ThinkHost, it’s more than a simple business decision. It’s a way of life. At ThinkHost every aspect of the company is dedicated to helping the environment or other social change projects.

At the epitome of this, is the ThinkHost tree planting program, where they promise to go out and physically plant a tree for every single one of their new clients. A bold plan, which no other “green” web hosting company comes close to matching. Rather than just claim to be green by funding renewable energy, like so many other web hosting companies, ThinkHost has chosen a truly proactive approach to helping the environment.

Other aspects of the ThinkHost business are also more environmentally friendly. ThinkHost points out that there is no corporate fat cat, bank, or venture capitalist leeching off of their profits. The significance of this is twofold. First, it probably holds some sentimental value for clients who don’t want to see their hard earned cash being constantly handed out to the “fat cats” who don’t really work for their pay. Second, most of those companies are not green!

What’s the point in paying for a green web hosting company, when the profits they earn are being handed out to a bank or venture capitalist that flies around in gas guzzling private jets or other blatantly polluting methods?

Yet that is precisely the type of hypocrisy prevalent with many “green web hosting” companies. Many of them pay the tiny amount buy “Renewable Energy Credits” which does not mean they changed to a renewable energy source. Renewable Energy Credits, RECs for short, are purchased to help “offset” their “carbon footprint” by helping introduce more renewable energy into the market. The proposal to buy RECs and market their web hosting as being “green”, is pitched by consulting firms, one of which has been making rounds at many web hosting services. These consulting firms promise and explain to the executives at the web hosting companies on how marketing their service as “green” can gain customers at a rate enough to not only cover the cost, but to actually increase the profits experienced at the company.

Not so with ThinkHost, who was green long before all of the other web hosts started jumping on the bandwagon. ThinkHost is also actively environmental, planting trees, and most of their profits are either given to the employees, or else donated to charitable or environmental efforts instead of to “corporate fat cats”. ThinkHost doesn’t just wear the “Green Mantra”, ThinkHost lives it.