Computer technology has completely changed our world. Without the computing power of computers, for example, the Internet, mapping the human genome, new treatments for cancer, or solving many astronomical mysteries would not have been possible. But its gradual development also has a downside.
The environmental footprint of the ICT sector is expanding. It is estimated that information and communication technologies were responsible for 1.8 to 2.8 percent of all greenhouse gases in the world in 2020. This is more than the entire aviation sector (1.9 percent). Not only is the massive consumption of electricity and computer production harmful to the environment, the water consumption of countless data centers is also becoming a growing problem. A group of Cambridge scientists says this should and could be done differently in nature. They believe that the scientific community must take immediate action to prevent the uncontrolled growth of computer technology and associated carbon dioxide emissions from driving the environment over the edge.
Exponential growth curve
The science itself also makes extensive use of artificial intelligence, data science, and algorithms to conduct research. “The environmental risks and impacts of so-called ‘wet laboratories’, where experimental research is carried out using different types of chemicals, are obvious to most people (inside and outside of science). But the influence of algorithms is less visible and therefore often underestimated. Data is on an unprecedented growth curve.
Even if new data centers become more energy efficient, if we don’t do something about it now, the sector’s environmental footprint will be completely bursting at the seams in the years to come,” says Professor Michael Inouye. So he and his team wrote the GREENER Handbook, which It enables computer scientists to do their work more sustainably, without compromising their results. People and the environment benefit from this, they explain in their study.
Teaching and research
Researchers emphasize the role of both the individual and the organization in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ICTs. Training, transparency, awareness and competence are the key words here. Computer scientists must be continuously trained to identify and reduce the environmental impact that their research creates. Organizations can request a CO2 estimate for each project when researchers apply for a grant. The idea is that monitoring and estimating emissions will reveal inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Right now, academics often feel they can run university servers for free. So it is important for scientists’ awareness to calculate the ecological footprint of their calculations. In this way they discover the real environmental costs.
Increased efficiency
The location of the servers also makes a huge difference in the impact on the environment. For example, the carbon intensity per kilowatt-hour generated is not less than 7,700 times higher in Australia than in Iceland. Another thing to note is that 72 percent of the power footprint for online video streaming comes from the laptop, while 23 percent comes from transmission and the data center is only responsible for 5 percent of the total power. Storing a terabyte of data, including consumption, costs about 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. The programming languages Python and R are the most used by computer scientists, but they are among the least energy efficient languages available. There is also room for efficiency improvement here.
The need to change the culture
Computer scientists have an opportunity to lead the fight for sustainability, but this can only happen if there is a change in culture. There needs to be more transparency, more awareness, better training, more budget and room for new policy, explains researcher Loïc Lannelongue. “Collaboration, a culture of open science and shared access to sustainable computing facilities are critical factors in making this plan work. We must ensure that sustainable solutions benefit everyone, including residents of poor countries most affected by climate change.”
Inouye adds, “Everyone in this field, from funders and journals and universities to individual scientists, has an important role to play in this transformation. Every person and every organization can make a positive impact. We have a great opportunity to make a difference, but the clock is ticking.”
