On second thought, DON’T smile for the camera…
Posted on January 21, 2021
We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in a Zoom meeting while other people talk. You want a snack. Or to refill your coffee cup. Or to check to see what the kid or the dog is getting into. So mid-meeting, you click off the camera on your laptop, get up and go do it. Are you being distracted? Inattentive? Well, yes. But did you know you were also helping the environment?
IT’S TRUE! According to a new study, leaving your camera off during video calls can reduce your footprint by 96%. The study, conducted by researchers from Yale, Purdue and MIT, looked into the environmental impact of internet use… a timely topic in our current era of working and socializing from home. The authors point out that although our new at-home, digital lifestyles are benefitting the planet in many ways—like reduced carbon dioxide emissions related to travel—it has dramatically increased our internet use.
Even pre-pandemic lockdown, the internet’s carbon footprint was steadily increasing, accounting for 3.7% of greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity draw from data centers makes up 1% of global energy demand… more than the national consumption of some countries. Since March, most countries have seen internet demand increase by as much as 20%.
Estimates of the approximate carbon, water, and land footprints associated with each hour of data spent on popular internet apps. Image credit: Purdue University/Kayla Wiles
The study analyzed the land, water and carbon footprints for each gigabyte of data used on a variety of online platforms. It’s no surprise that video-heavy platforms had the highest footprint. The research suggests that if one million virtual meeting attendees turned off their cameras, monthly carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by more than 9,000 tons. Users of streaming services like Netflix can reduce carbon output by up to 86% simply by streaming their favorite movies and shows in standard definition rather than HD.
According to the study’s authors, “Small actions such as turning off video during a virtual meeting, reducing the quality of streaming services, decreasing gaming time, limiting time on social media, deleting emails and unnecessary content on the cloud-based storage services, or unsubscribing from email lists can significantly reduce the environmental footprints of Internet use.”
So the next time you get the overwhelming urge for a sandwich in the middle of a long online meeting? Turn off the camera and go do it!* You’re saving the planet, after all!
*we cannot be held responsible if you are asked a question while you are in the next room playing with your cat.
