2.5 billion Internet users each year create 830 million tons of carbon emissions, which is similar to emissions from global air travel, or 2% of human emissions.
How each user can reduce their online carbon footprint and where it comes from is, reports Green Queen.
According to experts' forecasts, network emissions will increase. Although data on the Internet is virtually invisible, it must be processed and stored in huge data centers around the world that are powered 24/7 to forward the information.
The article explained that technology companies have to manufacture and supply Internet equipment, including servers, computers and phones. They require a huge amount of resources and energy in the manufacturing process. They also create emissions during transportation.
In addition, these devices are powered and cooled. To do this, electricity is taken from the grid, i.e. from coal, gas or oil, and not from renewable energy, which also creates carbon emissions.
"Each individual search requires the use of multiple servers that send information back and forth," the article says.
According to Climate Care, just one Google search can emit between 0.2 and 7 grams of CO2, and 7 grams of carbon is equivalent to driving a car 16 meters. Emails that contain a lot of information or are sent to multiple contacts can generate up to 50 grams of CO2.
The material listed several tips for minimizing the carbon footprint:
- configure power settings;
Turning off appliances, monitor and sleep mode will help save energy when not in use.
- stop data tracking;
- reduce screen brightness;
Harvard University's Sustainability Division recommends dimming monitors and screens by 30% to reduce significant energy and eye strain.
- download music and videos, or use greener streaming services.
The article explained that streaming music and video requires huge amounts of data to be transferred between servers, which consumes a lot of energy and emissions compared to downloading. After all, the latter involves receiving data from the servers only once.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that the amount of e-waste due to globalization, accelerated by technological development and the escalation of military conflicts, is rapidly increasing. It causes a resource crunch, which may end in the next century.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, every spam email emits approximately 0.3 grams of CO2 into the atmosphere, and sending a billion such letters equals the work of 3 million cars.
