The Internet also pollutes: How much energy do we spend searching the Internet?
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 6:42 am
You've probably never wondered how much the famous cloud where data extracted from the Internet is stored pollutes. We tend to think that actions such as avoiding printing unnecessary documents from the computer help the environment, and it's true! If we eliminate the use of paper, fewer trees are cut down, it's a fact. But our digital appetite is not exactly the cleanest activity in terms of pollution.
Have you stopped to think for a minute about the energy cost involved in processing, transferring and storing data? How much energy do we spend sending a message? And doing a search on Google? All these owner/partner/shareholder email lists actions first go through the so-called data centers: spaces where all the information is managed by large companies and organizations.
Data centers are a huge energy drain, and in recent years, given the growth in demand for digital and cloud services, they have had to increase their footprint by building new facilities and expanding existing ones, which means a more than notable increase in energy consumption in the most digitalized countries.
According to expert estimates, there are industries that generate energy consumption equivalent to the energy expenditure of 20 million households in the United Kingdom , as is the case of cryptocurrency mining. On the other hand, consumption growth is expected by other industries, such as media streaming, due to the advance of 4K broadcasts.
Another factor that will drive the increase in energy consumption in data centers will be the arrival of 5G. This technology will play a fundamental role in mass consumption and in business networks. In contrast, experts believe that thanks to its arrival, the expansion of technological trends such as smart cities, the Internet of Things or virtual reality will be much faster, which will increase data center consumption even further.
In other words, the global appetite for digital services in recent years has led to an increase in consumption: more connections and more information generated. All activities carried out on the Internet involve processing data, hosting files, etc. And that is why more and more servers or data centres are needed where these activities can be carried out.
Have you stopped to think for a minute about the energy cost involved in processing, transferring and storing data? How much energy do we spend sending a message? And doing a search on Google? All these owner/partner/shareholder email lists actions first go through the so-called data centers: spaces where all the information is managed by large companies and organizations.
Data centers are a huge energy drain, and in recent years, given the growth in demand for digital and cloud services, they have had to increase their footprint by building new facilities and expanding existing ones, which means a more than notable increase in energy consumption in the most digitalized countries.
According to expert estimates, there are industries that generate energy consumption equivalent to the energy expenditure of 20 million households in the United Kingdom , as is the case of cryptocurrency mining. On the other hand, consumption growth is expected by other industries, such as media streaming, due to the advance of 4K broadcasts.
Another factor that will drive the increase in energy consumption in data centers will be the arrival of 5G. This technology will play a fundamental role in mass consumption and in business networks. In contrast, experts believe that thanks to its arrival, the expansion of technological trends such as smart cities, the Internet of Things or virtual reality will be much faster, which will increase data center consumption even further.
In other words, the global appetite for digital services in recent years has led to an increase in consumption: more connections and more information generated. All activities carried out on the Internet involve processing data, hosting files, etc. And that is why more and more servers or data centres are needed where these activities can be carried out.