Today, we can say that the Internet has revolutionized our era. It gave us instantaneous information. But this upheaval has limits : it pollutes a lot. Even if it is virtual in appearance, it uses extremely polluting servers. If the Internet was a country, it would the 6th most polluting in the world.
A real source of pollution
The Internet uses data processing servers, data centers, which consume a lot of energy. A data center consumes on average as much as 30,000 European inhabitants a day. It uses energy to power servers, cool them down and ensure continuous operation in the event of a failure. This energy causes large releases of CO2.
Digital pollution comes mainly from streaming videos, ADSL routers, bitcoins or emails.
Let’s take the example of an email that you send. Your email goes through copper cables to go to internet servers near you. Then, it travels thousands of kilometers to reach the United States. There, it is treated by your host mail like Gmail. Finally, it will be returned to arrive in the recipient’s mailbox.
Thus, an email travels an average of 15,000 km between sending and destination.
Which actions to adopt ?
Daily actions can be used to reduce our environmental impact.
1) Clean your inbox with the FREE CleanFox app
In a few clicks, you unsubscribe from all the newsletters that pollute your mailbox, your mind and especially the planet. An ecological and responsible movement !
2) Reduce your reading time on the internet
3) Send easy-to-read emails
4) Optimize the size of attachments
5) Compress your files or adopt lighter formats.
6) Optimize your research
Use specific keywords or add favorites for your frequent searches.
You can also read : 6 Apps And Extensions To Help You Increase Your Productivity
