Doug Specht, Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching, Learning and Quality Assurance in the Westminster School of Media and Communication, has written an article for The Conversation about how individuals and tech companies contribute to Climate Change through the use of everyday technology.
Specht explains that during the past year, major tech companies, such as Amazon and Twitter, raised membership costs, due to the increased cost of living for their subscribers. These once untouchable companies have offered fast access to film and TV, to digital currencies and to interconnectedness. However, as their environmental footprint is becoming clearer, Specht writes changes need to be made.
While Specht refers to research, estimating that e-waste – discarded electrical items - could double between 2014 and 2030, he also points out the dangers of online energy consumption. A study has found that cryptocurrencies can consume more energy than mining an equivalent amount, by market value, of actual minerals like copper or gold. Specht highlights, that even everyday online activities can cause extreme emissions. For example, streaming the whole series of Breaking Bad on Netflix is estimated to produce the equivalent pollution to driving 27 miles.
According to Specht, our location can also affect how electricity is generated for household appliances, just like how digital companies have very different ways of powering their infrastructures. Even companies that are using renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint, cannot keep up with the large volumes of electricity consumption through these methods. TikTok and Reddit for example produce the highest carbon footprints out of the ten most popular social media apps.
Specht suggests that small personal changes can also be surprisingly crucial to tackle climate change. Every digital interaction affects emissions - as one piece of research has shown, if every British adult just sent one less “thank you” email, the nation would save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year.
Even so, Specht argues that more needs to be done in order to prevent pollution. Firstly, digital technologies should be powered by renewable energy as standard, as these technologies produce as much carbon emissions as the aviation industry. Secondly, renewable energy should be available to power the rest of society by reducing emission-intensive activities, such as excessive online advertising. Finally, redistribution of wealth and degrowth policies targeting tech companies could reduce unnecessary consumption, as most digital pollution is generated in economically developed countries.
At the end of the piece Specht concludes: “Some will complain that these solutions will increase costs, stifle innovation or mean some tech companies fail. But if innovation comes in the form of digital tech companies burning through 300 million tonnes of carbon a year, then we can do without it. If we don’t consider such changes, we stand to see less cat videos online, and more videos of wildfires, flooding and devastating weather events as climate change accelerates.”
Read the full article at The Conversation’s website.
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