(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #253 (Oct) - Digital:
The virtual, real pollution
There are a few years, one could think that the "dematerialization" of data could be a
step forward for the environment. Since then, disillusioned: computers, Internet and
digital are ecologically harmful, and it is getting worse. ---- With the advent of
digital, we could have imagined the possibility of slow deforestation by saving paper,
reducing travel through videoconferencing and teleworking, all without environmental
impact. In short, computers and the Internet would come to the rescue of the planet. But
it was too optimistic. Indeed, in its aspect paperless, digital is also anchored in a
highly polluting equipment arsenal and constant development. Some numbers are used to
enter the increase of the use of new technologies; and only 3 billion people today (40% of
the population) use the Internet, via mobile 2 billion and 1 billion PCs. These access
terminals are only part of equipment for Internet use. Indeed after the cables are found
no less than 45 million servers running full time and 800 million network equipment.
Internet and neck and neck with air traffic regarding the emissions of greenhouse gases.
In 2035 we should have 9 billion users; the amount of material required would be colossal.
And irreversible damage to the environment.
Pollution to all floors
The digital related pollution It can be seen in all phases of the product life cycle.
During manufacture, the main factor affecting the environment is the extraction of
resources necessary for the operation of electronic equipment. The silicon extraction
requires large amounts of water. Water is also polluted near the mines of phthalates and
heavy metals.
The product use phase is an important post of energy expenditure. The supply of
electricity in data centers (server storage places) is 1.1 to 1.5% of world consumption.
The client terminals (computers, phones, televisions, connected watches, etc.) are also
very energy efficient. Again the rebound effect plays full: more powerful batteries are
more devices are voracious.
But what is the use of bandwidth, which is the largest consumer of energy (and obviously,
the higher the flow improves, more document size increases). Using paper skyrocketed, she
imagined that disappear through reading on screen and online approaches. On average,
French wage earners would carry twenty-eight impressions per day. Note however that ADEME
has calculated that printing a document 200 pages less environmental impact than reading
it on the screen (what exonerate more militant to print the manifest for a libertarian
alternative).
The end of life of a product is no more rosy: only 15% of annual 42 billion kilos of
electronic waste are collected and recycled through official channels. The majority are
treated outside of any law, and is easy to imagine, without any attention to the
environmental impacts (such wastes contain mercury, cadmium, chromium and other harmful
substances very health and ecosystems) . Besides planned obsolescence (limiting the life
of the devices by random failures), these are technological developments that prevent the
increase in the lifetime of the devices: difficult to ride today with a camera dating from
Fifteen years ago, even in perfect condition.
Marotte "small gestures"
However, economic actors and the authorities become aware of the impossibility of
continuing to hold the speech-zero impact. Thus the apparent fad "small gestures". You
know, the ones that everyone should do to save the planet: besides the systematic
extinction of devices, we are invited to avoid overly large images in emails, delete those
you do not need to print in black and white, etc. If these actions are obviously called to
become habits, do not forget that only a third of the electricity consumption comes from
the client terminals. Also half of the emission of greenhouse gases come from
manufacturing equipment.
Planned obsolescence
So other avenues must be explored to reduce the ecological footprint of digital. The fight
against planned obsolescence is engaged. Indeed the law on the energy transition provides
for a sentence of two years imprisonment and a 300,000 euros fine for the companies
concerned. Obsolescence is not limited to failures, but also encompass the functional
aspect (software updates that make obsolete the use of a device). The scope of the law,
however, is undermined by the fact that no minimum product life is defined.
One can also imagine the establishment of provisions allowing easy replacement of all
components of an electronic product.
Software design and websites must also be revised in the direction of a control resources
consumed. The technological and functional choices must be guided primarily by the
sobriety made to the software. But the business logic dictates a different way: the whole
"cloud" (storing information and applications on servers) is very consumer of bandwidth,
and often doublonne stored quantities (email is both on the server and on the user
device). Furthermore, one could imagine storage quotas do not exceed, in terms of personal
data (emails, images), as the bandwidth consumption.
For reflection should not only focus on technique. The use must also be questioned. Thus,
without play-the-father morality, the fact that a third of the bandwidth used concerning
pornographic sites raises questions. Similarly 25% of deals with a theme related to
pornography. The profusion of information, some quality, the ability to easily share,
organize and even to fight should not be forgotten that the main use of the Internet is
the business: sites presentation, e-commerce, advertising ... And even beyond the
environmental impact, it would make an inventory of the contribution of the Internet to
society: social, societal, health issues. Can we afford Internet (the question is actually
open)?
Eric (AL Auvergne)
Sources:
www.presse.ademe.fr/files/acv_ntic_synthese_resultats.pdf
www.greenit.fr
www.bastamag.net/Numerique-cette-empreinte
www.telegeography.com/research-services/global-bandwidth-research-service/
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Numerique-Le-virtuel-une-pollution
