The global info-communications sector contributes about 2 per cent to 4 per cent of global carbon emissions, according to a study done by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (Berec) in 2021. Just as taking public transport and turning on the fan instead of the air-conditioner, reducing every joule of energy used by a digital device can help to lower one's carbon footprint. The Straits Times looks at ways to lower one's digital exhaust.
1 CONSUME CONTENT ON SMALLER SCREENS
The smaller the screen, the smaller your carbon footprint will be. In a report published by Ericsson in 2018, a 100-watt 50-inch TV screen uses about twice the energy to stream a video for two hours than when it is viewed on a 30-watt laptop. The same video viewed on the laptop uses about twice the energy as a 3-watt smartphone. Comparatively, streaming a video for two hours on a TV screen allows a kettle to boil one litre of water two times.
2 EXTEND THE LIFESPAN OF A DIGITAL DEVICE
Extending the lifespan of a device lowers its overall carbon emission.
The Berec study estimated that the lion's share of the carbon emissions from the infocomms sector (at around 60 per cent to 80 per cent) occurs during its manufacture and use.
Particularly, large screens such as those found on TVs and computers are the biggest culprits.
A Lenovo Product Carbon Footprint report issued in 2019 estimated that 458kg of carbon dioxide is emitted over the lifespan of its laptops. The calculation applied to the company's Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga, ThinkPad L13, ThinkPad S2 Yoga 5th Gen and ThinkPad S2 5th Gen.
If users extend the lifespan of their laptop from four to six years, the average annual carbon emission of that laptop is cut by around 30 per cent.
This story is from the December 06, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 06, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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