The Environmental Impact of the Internet
Am I the only one who thought the internet existed in the clouds?
Turns out the internet is more tangible than our thoughts and prayers.
From an undersea network of cables to servers and data centres — the internet is not cloud-like at all.
“The cloud is in the ocean. It’s on the bottom of the sea floor. It goes through deep sea trenches. It goes through reefs amongst fish. It’s subject to undersea landslides. That’s where the internet is.”
— Nicole Starosielski
Components
Cables
Once upon a time, the telegraph was invented and cables were laid across the globe, over land and sea.
Then the telephone came along and expanded on those routes.
And then came the internet. More cables were laid than ever before, with new ones continuing to be added.
If you think garbage is the only thing we’re putting into the oceans, you will be pleased to know that the very thing that’s allowing you to read this right now is sitting in the ocean chillin’ with the fishies.
Whether or not this is necessarily bad for marine ecosystems is unclear and uncertain. Research on the topic thus far has been insufficient and inconclusive. Some say that these cables and their electromagnetic fields may cause disruption or damage to marine life, while others point out that cable protection zones may double as marine sanctuaries.
For now, ignorance is bliss.
Data Centers
This is a data center, and in it are servers. Servers store everything that we ever click open on the internet.
Every time we visit a website, open an email, stream a video, etc. — the data that make up those mediums are retrieved and delivered from the data centers to our homes.
As you can see from the image above, a lot of energy is needed to power a data center, and depending on the energy source, will emit greenhouse gases.
The ICT (Information and Communications Technology) sector is estimated to make up 1.4% of global carbon emissions.
Not-so-fun fact: In April 2018, the music video for “Despacito” hit 5 billion views on Youtube, using as much energy as 40,000 U.S. homes in a year.
I know. I thought going digital was the green and mighty thing to do, too.
But on the bright side, once these data centers make the shift to renewable energy, as many tech companies have pledged to do, we can enjoy our mindless scrolling sans emissions.
Devices
With regular technological products, such as a car or microwave, the use phase makes up the larger share of its life cycle GHG emissions.
With ICT devices, however, the opposite is true. The production phase makes up the largest share of its total GHG emissions.
Why? Because the resources — more specifically the minerals — that are needed to make all the delicate parts that make up that piece of magic in your hands has to be dug up around the world, shipped to other parts of the world for other parts of the production process, and after several rounds of that, finally making its way into your hands.
And those minerals? They are not evenly found across the globe. Some countries have more of it than others. Some countries are the only ones that have it or at least a reliable supply of it. Hence why a certain country will always have us on our knees (I’ll save that for another time).
E-waste
E-waste is kind of the underdog of waste, with plastic waste stealing all the Instagram fame.
But e-waste deserves just as much attention.
For one, it is growing exponentially.
When it ends up in landfills, it does more than emit GHG — it also releases toxic chemicals into our air, water, and soil.
If only recycling was the answer, right?
Sadly, only 20% of e-waste is properly recycled.
In wealthier countries, the regulations make it far too costly to recycle locally. So like all the other shit that wealthy countries are too cheap to do themselves, e-waste gets shipped to developing countries, often using loopholes to bypass cross-border hazardous waste trafficking prohibitions.
Once there, it becomes part of the informal recycling economy, where part of the process involves burning the unwanted parts to recover the valuable parts.
This, of course, is toxic to both the people handling it as well as the people exposed to it through air and water contamination.
Okay, before you hate me for bursting your internet bubble, it’s not all bad.
We do save a lot of paper.
A lot of unnecessary commuting and traveling is prevented.
A lot of awareness has been raised and movements have been created.
Along with many, many other great things.
So since we’re not going to be giving up the internet, what can we do to mitigate its negative impact on our dear planet?
Solutions
Beat planned obsolescence.
Many of the electronic devices that we use are designed to last a certain amount of time before they start to slow or break down, tempting us to replace them with a newer, sexier model. Sometimes it’s even cheaper for us to replace them than it is to repair them.
But perhaps we should remind ourselves that what’s newer, sexier, or cheaper now isn’t worth the long-term consequences of overconsumption.
Perhaps we should take better care of our things so they last longer, and choose to repair before we replace.
We’re all adults. Who’s really laughing at you for using an older model anyway?
So screw you, PS5, I’ll be staying committed to my PS4!
Practice proper recycling.
When it’s finally time to let go of your device, there are 2 responsible options.
- Trade in your device with a reputable company that has a trade-in program. (Here’s Apple’s.)
- Drop it off with a responsible recycler. (You can find one here, although it currently only has information for select countries.)
Let shit go.
All the emails, photos, apps, whatever you no longer need or no longer sparks joy, get rid of ’em. Marie Kondo that shit.
Less clutter, less emissions.
Jump ship.
- You can switch to Ecosia for your searches.
- You can get your website hosted via green web hosting providers.
- You can use a lighter, faster website analytics tool.
Switch to renewables (or demand it).
Of course, the cleaner your energy source, the lower the impact of your ICT usage.
But this one’s a little complicated, especially if you don’t live in a house or can’t afford the initial cost. In that case, you can signal demand for renewables by writing to your political representative or investing in renewable energy stocks.
Disconnect more often.
You either control it or it controls you. It being AI. (I recently watched The Social Dilemma.)
Give your eyes a break, give your mind a break. This world is magnificent and if we would just look up from our screens to take it in then maybe we’ll stop feeling so damn anxious and depressed.
And of course, the less we use our devices, the less we have to charge them.
Better for our mental health, better for the environment.
If you have any other tips, please do share!
