Digital pollution: pollution is just a click away
A quick Whatsapp message, a post published on LinkedIn and a Google search or two; it all adds up and the average time users spend online is showing an exponential growth that we are certain will not slow down any time soon.
Have you ever heard of digital pollution? This is the thing: even our beloved digital tools help to pollute our planet, contributing to the formation of CO2. Let’s find out how together!
Why is digital pollution in the news?
The digital revolution has quite literally changed our everyday lives, but it has also introduced some aspects into our lives that we tend to be unaware of.
We are not talking about the much discussed problems of privacy, nor about the social alienation caused by digital lives, but rather focusing on an issue that is even more dear to us: pollution and attention to the environment.
Smartphones, laptops, tablets and so on and so forth: all our devices generate an increase in carbon dioxide as soon as they are produced and used.
While most of these emissions can be traced back to their actual production, even how we choose to use our devices makes the difference.
Just think that browsing on our smartphone for an hour every day means that, in a year, we produce the equivalent of 1.25 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of a Milan-New York flight (but without the fun of the holiday!).
What can we do to help our planet?
Let’s admit it, none of us could give up our online life just like that. However, the first step towards finding a solution to the problem is to be informed and become aware of the fact that none of our actions goes unobserved by the environment.
As far as our behaviour is concerned on the other hand, each of us can make little adjustments to try and weight a little less on the shoulders of the planet.
A few examples? Avoid replacing our smartphones too often in a race to possess the latest model, use green search engines (have you ever heard of Ecosia? and, if possible, give up an hour or two of streaming and enjoy some leisure time in nature instead... because we can all play our part. Want to start with us?
