Should we go on data diets? Our daily use of the internet consumes vast amounts of energy, and the coming of AI is an extra challenge in the battle to reduce our carbon footprint.
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Tech goes nuclear as energy use soars
Should we go on data diets? Our daily use of the internet consumes vast amounts of energy, and the coming of AI is an extra challenge in the battle to reduce our carbon footprint.
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Data centres need a huge amount of electricity, and this is expected to more than double by 2030, thanks to the demands of AI. They also have a huge carbon footprintThe total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. China is the top emitter with 28% of the world's total emissions. The US is second with 14%..
Meanwhile, tech companies are under pressure to cut carbon emissions. Nuclear power is seen as a way of producing extra electricity cleanly, in spite of its risks.
The carbon dioxide emissions generated by sending just one email are around 17g, while watching an hour of Netflix is equivalent in emissions terms to boiling a kettle, producing about 36g of CO2.
According to the UK's Department of Transport, the average car produces 0.2kg of carbon emissions per mile.
Playing Fortnite for an hour a day for a year would be equivalent to driving for at least 71 miles, but streaming an HD film for an hour a day for a year would produce the same emissions as driving for 4,745 miles.
Should we go on data diets?
Yes! It is mad to use as much data as we do when we are supposed to be reducing the world's energy consumption.
No: The amount of data that we use as individuals is tiny compared to the demands of governments and big business.
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Keywords
Carbon footprint - The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. China is the top emitter with 28% of the world's total emissions. The US is second with 14%.
Tech goes nuclear as energy use soars
Convenience: The idea behind vast energy consuming data centres is to reduce “latency”, the time between you typing in a web address or clicking on an app button, and the content you are requesting being delivered to you. Glossary
Carbon footprint - The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. China is the top emitter with 28% of the world’s total emissions. The US is second with 14%.