Our Digital Footprint Has An Impact Too

These days almost everyone is hooked on social media and the internet and it's having a major impact on the planet.

It seems like going paperless is super common these days for the environmental movement. Saying no to receipts and getting an emailed version instead has been a common thing among zero waste advocates. But… our digital use has a footprint too. 

The Facts: a google search emits anywhere from 0.2 - 0.7 grams of carbon dioxide, the average email has a footprint of 4 grams (but can be up to 50 with large attachments), and a text message regularly emits 0.014 grams of carbon. 

Now that doesn’t seem like a lot, but as a world with over 2.3 BILLION people on the internet all those website clicks have a huge impact. It is said that text messages alone account for 32,000 tons of co2 every year and that number just keeps increasing and increasing and increasing. Another way to put this in perspective is “the carbon output of hitting "send" on 65 mails is on par with driving an average-sized car a kilometre (0.6 of a mile).” -phys.org Crazy right?! 

I think environmental advocates (myself included) underestimate the power of our digital use. Technological advancements has been one of the greatest economic additions of all time in the terms of emergencies and keeping ourselves safe. However, society has turned technology into an addiction, and like anything in the sustainable movement over consuming it has a grand impact.

What can you do?

Step 1: Unsubscribe from what you don't need. Most likely a lot of your emails are ads from fashion brands and shoe retailers urging you to buy their products. Mimizing what comes into your inbox saves on emissions and impulse purchases.

Step 2: Deactivate old accounts! Any instagram accounts, twitter accounts, or even just plain old email accounts that aren't in use need to be deactivated. They are sitting their pumping out carbon emissions like money spent on new fast fashion trends.

Step 3: Turn off your devices that aren't in use. Sounds simple right?! But everytime we forget to turn off our phones before we go to bed all the notifications lighting up that screen are using energy and power! #turnitoff

Step 4: Lower your device's brightness! Lowering your device's brightness from 100% to 70% can save 20% of the energy the monitor uses.

Step 5: Reuse your searches! An example would be if you log on to instagram through searching the website, try to make that the primary source of access to your account. Basically what this does is it uses knowledge previously looked for by the device and uses that to complete the task.

Step 6: Use your device LESS! By using your devices less you utimatley use less energy and preserve your device's life! Simple as that.

Your digital footprint needs to be part of your climate action! Email me other steps you've been taking at climatee.crisis@gmail.com (yes there is a double e!)