Researchers estimate that internet usage increased by up to 40% globally when countries issued stay-at-home orders from January to March 2020 as COVID19 spread.
The increase triggered a massive demand for electricity to support data transmission and running hardware, water to cool these systems, and land to house them.
We may have reduced travel related carbon emissions, for example, but our shift to digital has not necessarily been clean. If the current situation continues though 2021, we will need a forest twice as big as Portugal to offset the millions of tons of emitted greenhouse gases.
Big Tech must reduce their environmental footprint, be transparent about their environmental impact and find ways to curb them.
We must also be responsible consumers. For example, if 70 million users lowered their streaming video quality, it could reduce monthly greenhouse gas emissions equivalent of eliminating 6% of monthly coal consumption in America.
Original article:
Surge in digital activity has hidden environmental costs
Original study:
The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use