Google has published a blog post discussing how cloud-based computing (like your Goddard College Google Apps email, docs, calendar and other Google services) have a smaller carbon footprint than using local servers:
This is because cloud-based services are typically housed in highly efficient data centers that operate at higher server utilization rates and use hardware and software that’s built specifically for the services they provide—conditions that small businesses are rarely able to create on their own.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/gmail-its-cooler-in-cloud.html
