Save The Environment By Turning Off Your Cam
Turning the camera off in your video chats can actually help save the environment....now there is a regal idea.
According to an article on Studyfinds.org, researchers from MIT, Yale, and Purdue University say videoconferencing and streaming high-definition content greatly increases a person's carbon footprint.
With the coronavirus pandemic shifting all sorts of activities to online-only, it's no surprise internet usage skyrocketed in 2020.
Despite a record drop in global carbon emissions during the year, study authors say the way the internet stores and transfers data still poses a serious concern for the environment.
The study finds just one hour in a video conference or streaming HD shows emits between 150 and 1,000 grams of carbon dioxide.
For comparison, a car burning one gallon of gasoline emits nearly 9,000 grams of carbon dioxide.
That hour in a video call also requires two to 12 liters of water and demands a land area the size of an iPad Mini.
Researchers say this is the first study to examine the internet's impact on water and land footprints, in addition to its carbon emissions.
The study estimated the carbon, water, and land footprints of each gigabyte of data used on several websites including YouTube, Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The team also calculated the impact of online gaming and general web surfing. Ah ha...just as researchers expected, the more video playing in an app, the greater the environmental impact.
It's a work in progress. Do what you can.
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