The online world is gathering momentum at a frightening pace.
We can reduce the worlds digital carbon footprint as long as we all do our part.
What is one of those, anyhow?
What is A Digital Carbon Footprint?
Believe it or not, surfing the internet produces CO2.
Not directly, of course; theres no exhaust pipe protruding from the side of your smartphone.
But from initial manufacture to end-use, digital devices have a seriously damaging impact on the environment.
This is the same for devices that get into the internet and devices that help keep the internet running.
Planet earth is in the early stages of an energy revolution.
That is, we are moving towards renewable sources of energy.
These sources of energy are unsustainable.
CO2 gas traps the suns heat in the atmosphere (the greenhouse effect).
This heats the planet above its normal temperature; Im sure youve heard about global warming before…
Global warming is critically damaging to the environment.
Well get to that in a second.
How Does the Internet Produce CO2?
The manufacturing process is the first contributor to digital emissions.
unit use is the final contributor: customers usually charge their newly-bought devices via energy from the national grid.
Can you guess how this energy is produced?
gadget Manufacture
The first stage of an electronic devices lifespan is the manufacturing process.
Once built, manufacturers transport devices by land, sea, or air to a distributor.
The vehicles used to transport devices usually burn fossil fuels, releasing carbon into the air.
Distributors ship these devices to customers or other stores.
Again, this releases CO2.
This figure is at odds with industry targets to reduce emissions by nearly half over the next 10 years.
Subsea Fiber Optics
Subsea fiber optics are part of the manufacturing process of the internet.
They allow devices to connect across continents and seas.
Subsea fiber optic cables are laid across the seabed for thousands of miles.
This process disturbs sensitive deep-sea ecosystems in its path.
Ecosystems like coral reefs, which are needed to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
All of this requires fossil-fuel-produced electricity.
Data Centers
Data centers are the foundation of the internet.
They house the data pipe servers and computers that make the internet possible.
Centers can be rooms, buildings, or even hangar-sized structures.
Data centers use a staggering amount of electricity.
Theyre packed full of technology, like computers running at a high capacity that require cooling and maintenance.
All of these devices were manufactured, and all will need replacing by other devices once theyre broken.
There are hundreds of thousands of data centers, too.
There are over 500,000 data centers around the world, collectively covering 26.6 million square meters.
430 of these data centers are hyperscale.
Hyperscale data centers are humongous, often the size of villages.
This vast area is chock-full of computers that are intensively using electricity.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is online data storage.
Dont let the name fool you.
Cloud storage does not mean the data is stored in a harmless, fluffy, natural wonderland.
The data is stored in data centers, which again require vast amounts of fossil-fuel-produced electricity to run.
These parties often share the data they collect with each other for profit.
Other than the obvious privacy issues, ad-tracking has a huge environmental impact.
Ad tracking uses loads of energy.
The vast number of companies now collecting customer data to gain insights means this is a prevalent issue.
Your digital gear requires electricity whenever you use it.
Data processing and file-sharing use more electricity as tasks become more energy-intensive.
Once your unit is out of charge, recharging it via nonrenewable energy sources increases your digital carbon footprint.
How Big Is the Worlds Digital Carbon Footprint?
The online world already accounts for a significant portion of the earths total emissions.
In fact, the issue of digital emissions isgetting even more serious.
The digital world is constantly expanding; there are now 4.66 billion internet users.
Thats more than half of the worlds population.
314 million new users have come online in the last year (for reasons well address).
All of this requiresmore energy.
The Shift Project estimates that digital energy consumption rises by around 9% every year.
Many were forced to stop working as the global economy ground to a halt.
As a result, Internet use increased dramatically as people tried to keep themselves busy.
Video streaming has supplanted moviegoing.
Videoconferencing is now a favored alternative to in-person meetings.
Social platforms are now the places people go to meet each other.
However, increased internet use requires an increased amount of energy.
Which Online Companies Have the Largest Footprint?
The worlds largest online companies leave a sizable digital carbon footprint.
Streaming produces 300 million metric tons of CO2 each year.
On-demand video streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are hugely popular.
Subscription-based streaming services account for one-third of all video streaming traffic on the internet.
Netflix alone is responsible for 15% of the globes internet traffic.
The service consumes 451,000 megawatt-hours of energy per year thats enough energy to power 37,000 homes!
Social media videos and YouTube videos account for another third of all video streaming traffic.
However, considering the popularity of Googles services, the company is more energy-efficient than you might think.
While Googles services produce a lot of CO2, the company has been carbon neutral since 2007.
Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin Mining
As a footnote to big tech, another emerging online industry is cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency is digital money.
There are numerous different types of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP.
Unfortunately, the creation of digital money is bad for the environment too.
Cryptocurrencies require a lot of energy when they are created.
Many cryptos must be verified to be created; this process is called crypto mining.
The most famous example is bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin mining hardware must be replaced every 1.5 years.
Specialized mining machines serve no purpose after use and are almost always thrown away, which wastes resources.
Bitcoin generates around 22 million tonnes of CO2 every year, too.
Thats a larger carbon footprint than the entire nation of Jordan.
Bitcoins energy consumption per transaction is far higher than traditional forms of online payment such as Visa.
Cryptocurrencies have experienced a rapid rise to prominence over the last 2 years.
The market has grown from $200 billion in 2019 to reach nearly $2 trillion in 2021.
The increase in the production and use of cryptocurrencies has brought their environmental impact to the fore.
However, crypto is still in its early stages.
There is no eco-friendly crypto as yet.
However, some others that use a proof-of-stake mechanism dont require as much energy for production.
Currencies like Dash or NXT leave a smaller digital carbon footprint than Bitcoin.
In which case, reducing cryptos carbon footprint will become crucially important for the environment.
The net zero emissions goal was formulated as part of the United Nations Paris Agreement in 2015.
Its an arrangement between nations, unions, and companies to reach global carbon neutrality by 2050.
The human race must reach the net zero goal to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Should we fail to reach this target, the effects of global warming will become critical and potentially irreversible.
Thats around $4 trillion of investment per year.
Earths power system, electricity, must also reach net zero emissions by 2040 to halt global warming.
The point is: end-users can make a huge difference to global energy consumption!
Small individual changes could lead to large-scale impact from the internet community.
Thats why making these changes is so important.
First things first, how should you manage your rig?
These tips are instantly actionable and easy to follow!
Simply Reduce How Much Youre Online
It really is that simple: dont go online as much.
Should be easy, right?
Many of us are attached to our digital devices.
Theyre our most practical tool and our finest form of entertainment for a high number of people.
Nonetheless, there is something to be said for distancing yourself from technology when possible.
Schedule days where you dont look at your phone.
Technology is not the be-all-and-end-all of everyday life.
Over the last 6 million years, humans have found other ways to occupy themselves.
Youll be okay away from your machine for a few hours.
Taking a break is not just good for the environment.
Its good for your health.
The more pages you load, the more energy you use.
But there are ways to confirm you load the lowest possible number of pages:
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This can massively reduce energy consumption.
Oh, and use dark mode where possible.
Outside of this situation, however, you gotta turn your equipment off.
This saves a small amount of energy, but its important because effectively sleep mode is a waste.
Your rig is consuming power while not being used.
Download apps that streamline all of the tasks you want to complete.
Do this, and youll be using far less energy than on your desktop.
WiFi connections are more efficient than mobile internet connections.
Turn Off Tracking and Surveillance
Ad tracking monitors your online movements whenever you conduct internet searches and browse online.
Your internet service provider is even collecting your data and may be selling this data to third parties.
As weve mentioned, ad tracking is terrible for the environment.
The data analytics industry requires a massive amount of energy to collect, store, and use your data.
Note, this will block personalized ads from around 2 million+ sites served by Google.
It wont block other companys ads.
Users can also deny, clear, or block cookies from their net online gate to reduce ad tracking.
Removing these will reduce the workload of data centers and your unit.
They also add a layer of protection against ad tracking and cookies from websites and third parties.
Many browsers have pre-installed ad blockers that you might simply turn on with one click.
it’s possible for you to also download alternative ad blockers as an extension in your surfing app.
Digital devices collect geolocation data through built-in GPS tracking.
That being said, location tracking requires a high amount of energy consumption from data centers.
Generally, users should turn GPS tracking on when theyre out-and-about, and turn it off when at home.
Heres how to turn GPS tracking off when you dont need to be located:
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Delete Useless Apps
Are there any apps that you dont want or use anymore?
Run through your phone and get rid of all of them.
Believe it or not, pretty much every app is tracking your data.
Even the most unsuspecting apps are monitoring your gadget use and online behavior in the background.
Delete any useless or unnecessary apps.
This will reduce the amount of data being collected on your mobile gear.
Clean Up the Cloud
Cloud storage uses a ridiculous amount of energy.
Greenpeace found that, globally, cloud computing uses more energy than the entirety of Germany.
That means you should delete old photos and videos.
Do this regularly to save as much energy as possible.
Cloud storage services require a lot of energy as they must arrange your files and authenticate your access requests.
Downloading files and general database operations leave a significant carbon footprint, too.
Use Google Drive and Google Photos for Cloud Storage
Use Google if you absolutely need cloud storage.
As mentioned, Google is a carbon-negative company with extremely efficient servers.
This should be enough of a motivation to choose their cloud services over other options.
Reduce Your Electronic Waste
Reduce your electronic waste.
By that, I mean stop throwing away your electronic devices in favor of newer equipment.
Its human nature to want the latest stuff.
In digital rig terms, users might want the new Samsung Galaxy smartphone or the most recent OLED TV.
People should fix repairable devices, too.
Sites like iFixit provide loads of great manuals, and electronic repair shops can be a great option.
Electronic devices can create hazardous waste in landfill sites when thrown away.
Humans generate around 45 million tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) every year.
Reducing your contribution is, therefore, a crucial part of reducing this figure.
Properly Dispose of Devices
Properly dispose of your broken machine when the time comes.
Electronic devices are often mixed in with normal household waste.
This should never be the case.
Old devices can be recycled by local organizations or online services.
This reduces the number of resources used in the manufacturing process.
Buy Second Hand
You should replace any broken devices with second-hand equipment where necessary.
There are great second-hand marketplaces that sell fully-functional digital equipment.
Most towns have a local electronics pawnshop, and numerous technology brokers and independent sellers list refurbished devices.
Theres no shame in buying second-hand devices.
80% of all data that is transferred through the internet is video data.
Cutting back on videos is a necessity, given their damaging ecological impact.
Cut Back on Video Streaming
Video streaming is one of the most energy-intensive forms of online video.
20 hours of video streaming produces the equivalent carbon output of a gallon of gasoline.
In which case, users should cut back on their video streaming at all costs.
Netflix addicts, Im looking at you…
Explore other options whenever possible.
Instead of streaming another show, choose terrestrial TV where possible.
Find that show you were about to stream on TV or watch a movie disc you already own.
Both options are far more eco-friendly than using online video streaming services.
This will be more energy-efficient than streaming the same piece of content over and over again.
Streaming in higher resolutions, like 4K, uses a lot of extra energy.
In fact, lower-resolution streaming can be up to 86% more energy efficient.
Youre not getting the benefits of a high-resolution picture if youre viewing video content on a low-resolution screen.
The same goes for smaller screens.
In both cases, reducing the resolution makes sense if youre serious about an eco-friendly online life.
Users can reduce the weight of online videos as well.
This lowers the amount of energy they require without significantly affecting the videos quality.
The Shift Project has an excellentonline guidethat tells you everything it’s crucial that you know.
On the other hand, Zoom calls between friends and family do not always need a video stream.
Turning off web-call video reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 96%.
On YouTube, for example, auto-play features come in the form of recommended videos.
These videos are automatically triggered once the previous video is finished.
Auto-play is largely a marketing ploy.
That means auto-play maximizes the amount of energy consumed as well.
Not an ideal effect if you want to reduce your digital carbon footprint.
Each internet tool does give you the option to turn off auto-video play.
Chrome users can download Chrome 66.
This new version of the internet tool blocks default auto-plays that have sound.
Users can block auto-plays that dont have sound, too, via the AdBlock extension.
Music platforms like Spotify attract hundreds of millions of users.
Streaming services are thought to be even worse for carbon emissions.
Buying physical copies of CDs or records can be beneficial for repeat-listeners as well.
27 listens is the point at which the carbon footprint of music streaming overtakes manufactured discs/records.
Dont Stream Music on Video Platforms
Dont stream music on video-streaming platforms like YouTube.
Doing so is a massive waste of energy, considering music is an audio-centric experience.
Music videos rack up an insane amount of views.
The music video for 2017 smash-hit Despacito clocked up 5 billion plays.
Total emissions for Despacito are estimated to be around 250,000 tonnes of CO2.
The difference in energy consumption between audio and video means users shouldlistento music, notwatchit.
That will make a massive difference to your digital carbon footprint.
Gaming as a whole uses 32TWh of energy per year.
Thats around 24 megatonnes of carbon dioxide produced by the gaming community.
Streaming video games is the most inefficient way to play.
Optimizing Email to Be Eco-Friendly
Emails are processed and stored in data centers that use power.
Changing your bad email habits for the better can therefore make a massive difference to your power consumption.
This increases the data-transfer workload of data centers.
If youre not sending links, images, and attachments requiring HTML codes, you should use plain-text instead.
So go crazy, delete as many unwanted emails as you’re free to!
Fewer stored emails mean less energy used by data centers.
You should erase all of your read emails, junk mail, or emails that arent relevant to you.
Most people have an inbox thats overloaded with useless mail.
Just take a look at the carbon footprint a single email can have.
Worse still, experts suggest the figures could be even higher today!
We get that, and its fine to keep that stuff.
The average internet user receives a whopping 2,850 unwanted emails from subscriptions every year.
All of those generate around 28.5kg of CO2e.
Users should cancel all unwanted or unneeded email subscriptions.
Doing so is going to massively reduce your carbon footprint.
Dont Send Unnecessary Emails
Stop sending emails for no reason.
All of those extra emails rack up emissions over time, which increases your digital carbon footprint.
It can have a massive effect if you avoid sending emails willy-nilly.
Thats like taking 3,334 diesel-running cars off of the road!
Dont use Reply All in an email chain when you dont have to, either.
The number of recipients will multiply the amount of data transfer accordingly.
Use More Environmentally-Friendly Messages
There are more energy-efficient messaging options than email.
Choosing to send an SMS text message is perhaps the most environmentally-friendly alternative.
A single text generates just 0.014g of CO2e.
Facebook stacks up as one of the more efficient sites as a whole.
Its sustainability report suggests each user generates around 299g of CO2e per year on the service.
Thats less carbon than it takes to boil the kettle.
Use Eco-Focused Online Tools & Resources
Lets be clear.
The internet can provide us with lots of clever tools, apps, and resources unavailable to previous generations.
The internet allows environmental activists, scientists, and geographers to do their job.
So use the best of what it has to offer (like they do).
Try Out a Green Search Engine
The first eco-tool you should consider using is a green search engine.
Ecosiais one of the most popular green search engines available.
This pioneering company uses solar power production and plants trees to offset any additional carbon footprint.
Ecosia plants a tree for every 45 searches its users perform.
Ecosia is also completely free to use.
Many internet users have their own blog or website.
Hetzner Online is a great place to start.
The German hosting provider powers its data centers with 100% renewable hydropower.
Hetzners environmental partner, Energiedienst AG, is TUV certified with CO2-free energy production.
Try theWebsite Carbon Calculatorto get the stats on your site.
You might be unpleasantly surprised.
Green mail providers help reduce the amount of CO2 your online habits produce.
All of the green mail providers were about to show you hit these criteria.
Some of the best options include:
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Use Sustainable Mobile Phone Service Providers
Go fully sustainable with all of your providers.
A green mobile service provider is the next best option if you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
There are just a few companies leading the way in the world of green mobile service.
Use Green Food Apps
Now lets talk about the finest green apps you’re able to use.
Green food apps are important.
Olio is one of the best green food apps weve used.
On Olio, collectors pick up perfectly fine food from supermarkets that are nearing its sell-by-date.
This food would typically be thrown away.
These people then list the products on Olio.
Other users can pick up the items, all completely free of charge!
Recycling Apps
Apps can offer great ways to recycle your stuff or reuse other peoples products.
Recycling reduces the carbon emissions involved in the production and distribution of goods.
you’re free to use apps for recycling in a few different ways.
reGAIN is a gem.
It allows you to recycle old and used clothes.
In return, reGAIN will give you discount coupons to spend at a range of other stores.
Fat Llama is a lending service, because one persons trash is anothers treasure.
It really does work.
One school in California fixed its litter problem after charting 1,200 pieces of on-campus trash.
The school found most of its litter came from plastic straws, which were quickly abandoned.
There are loads of apps out there that reduce the emissions of your journey.
Ride-sharing works because you could turn multiple car journeys into one.
Hiring a car works if you better get somewhere without the daily emissions of owning a vehicle.
Other apps can even help make plug points more accessible for electric car users.
Track Your Energy Usage
Apps can help you become more efficient with your energy usage too.
GridCarbon, for example, tracks the carbon intensity of electricity use as it varies throughout the day.
Carbon calculators are another punch in of tracking platform.
They keep a record of how many carbon emissions your activities are producing.
Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platforms
The internet can help make green energy accessible to everyone.
Peer-to-peer energy trading platforms are in their early stages, though they could change how we use energy forever.
This is awesome because it allows greater energy efficiency.
Sellers can make some extra cash, and buyers can get access to renewable sources of energy.
Loads of energy suppliers will buy your energy if you have the proper documentation in place.
Other online platforms also make this process easier:
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Thats why online resources are so important.
They raise awareness and allow us to move towards an eco-friendly society.
Here are 4 great online resources you should try:
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The production process accounts for around 45% of the IT sectors carbon emissions.
In which case, choosing products created using eco-friendly resources can massively reduce that products carbon footprint.
Fairphone and Shiftphone are 2 manufacturers that create ethical mobile phones.
They treat their workers humanely and avoid all conflict materials.
Their products are also extra-durable and repairable, so you dont have to update regularly.
Fairphone, in particular, claims to have significantly reduced the emissions of their production process.
For computers, laptops, and tablets, iameco is one of the market leaders.
iameco products are designed for recycling, repair, refurbishment, and reuse.
Products focus on efficiency, while iamecos V3.0 computer has a 70% lower footprint than your average PC.
As for TVs, eco-products arent as common, though there are some brands making headway.
Furrion is an eco-minded brand that creates energy-efficient TVs for adventurers looking to live off-grid.
Their Furrion FEHS39L6A uses just 64.34 kWh/yr of energy.
The average energy consumption for a website page is currently around 1.76G.
We can bring this figure down by implementing a few specific steps to reduce the amount of data on-screen.
So lets keep these figures in mind as we build an eco-website.
WordPress hosting allows users to run better optimized sites, adding additional features and security measures.
The best eco-friendly WordPress host has its own data centers that use 100% renewable energy.
Here are 3 great WordPress hosts you’re free to use:
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CDNs improve loading times on-site by reducing how far data travels.
The problem is (like most data centers) CDNs are often powered by fossil fuels.
You should avoid a CDN if your site load times are not that important.
If your visitors are usually from within your own country, you probably dont need one.
You should also ensure your data center is within your own country.
If its critical you use a CDN provider, choose Cloudflare.
Using modern fonts like WOFF and WOFF2 is one such way to disregard older browsers.
Create a Low-Impact Site
This is the most critical point in this final section.
You should be aiming to create a low-impact website.
A more energy-efficient site is a more eco-friendly site.
If your site is full of loads of multimedia elements, its using too much energy.
This is so important because web pages are getting bigger as hosts look to provide better entertainment.
The average webpage is 4 times bigger today than it was in 2010.
Vector graphics and CSS effects can be used as a healthier visual alternative to images and video.
If you better provide links to large media, offload it to green third-party providers.
Compression is also crucial for reducing the on-screen data.
you’re free to use methods that compress media without sacrificing too much image quality.
Also, ensure your site isnt auto-playing video.
This sounds obvious, but it can make a big difference.
Visit The Green Data Project for more information on how you could slim down your webpage and server use.
Reduce Tracking & Advertising Script
We talked about the high energy use of ad tracking.
The truth is, most sites dont need ad tracking.
You should vastly reduce tracking and advertising script on your site if its not required.
Improve Navigation, SEO, to Reduce Bounce Rate
This one sounds strange at first.
Improving the SEO and overall usability of your site will drive traffic while making it more energy efficient.
Both of these factors will massively reduce bounce rates while giving viewers the information they need in fewer steps.
That means fewer unnecessary page loads and a more eco-friendly site.
The Internet Isnt All Bad
The internet isnt all doom and gloom.
Yes, the internet uses energy.
Its also vital that we acknowledge the alternatives to some everyday online tasks.
Users need to see the bigger picture to be eco-friendly.
You might just be saving a lot of time and energy.
Conclusion
The online world is a beautiful, complicated place.
In the meantime, we all need to limit our usage.
Making use of the tips outlined in this article should do the trick.
Its the first step towards a brighter digital future and a world free from global warming.
Thank you for reading!
