Greenpeace has compiled a ranking of data centers based on pollution levels.

Greenpeace named Yahoo's data centers the most environmentally friendly, while Apple's were named the dirtiest.

In compiling the ranking, Greenpeace assessed the energy consumption required to power servers and cooling systems. Data centers consume 1.5% to 2% of all electricity generated globally.

However, using cloud computing and music streaming services is more environmentally friendly, in particular, than the production and disposal of physical music media – CDs.

Yahoo, Google, and Amazon received the highest ratings for data center security. These companies are investing in renewable energy.

The leader in the ranking, Yahoo, often creates large data centers near .

Apple dropped to last place after it announced it would open a massive new data center in North Carolina that would use electricity generated by carbon-intensive plants.

Because the region also has Facebook and Google data centers, Greenpeace has dubbed it the "Dirty Triangle."