Imagining a life without digital is now impossible. However, some measures can be implemented to reduce the environmental impact: let’s find out which ones. Every day we check emails, chat with our contacts, do work video calls, and use apps to manage many aspects of our life. We live an existence that is becoming increasingly digital, with technology that allows us to simplify even the most straightforward daily actions.
Ordering a pizza at home via the app, sending an email, doing research online, listening to music or watching a movie in streaming, and controlling your home with systems based on artificial intelligence are just some of the actions that many people around the world take every day. World accomplishes. A digital life that has allowed, during the Covid-19 pandemic, between forced smart working and remote teaching to reduce carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions, as demonstrated by satellite data that have seen a decrease in pollution globally.
We must never forget, however, that every action has an ecological impact that must be considered when you want to lead a greener life. Several good practices can reduce a device’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This is because even a single Internet search can affect carbon dioxide emissions: the production of electricity needed to operate the devices still relies, for the most part, on non-renewable sources. Follow a few simple tips to lead a more sustainable digital life. Let’s see which ones are together.
The Problem Of Digital Sustainability
Over the past few years, many people have learned to live sustainably without making substantial renunciation. Just think of the increasingly widespread diffusion of separate waste collection. Alternatively, the good habits that allow each of us, in our small way, to make a difference. This kind of education is not just about mobility, housekeeping, or attention to waste. It is possible to be more or less sustainable even when working with your computer.
From this point of view, the theme is well known to insiders. The entire Information Technology industry, although not particularly “polluting,” still represents a significant percentage of world CO2 emissions. The concept of digital sustainability is, therefore, more concrete than ever. And even in this case, the individual can contribute very well, as long as they change some little habits historically taken for granted.
Keep Your Files In Order, And Empty The Recycle Bin
The assumption underlying the digital sustainability problems of individual citizens is quite clear: computers, smartphones, and, more generally, electronic devices consume electricity and, consequently, impact global eco-sustainability. Starting from here, the reasoning to follow is conceptually straightforward: to reduce your digital environmental impact, it is sufficient to commit to ensuring that the different devices used consume a smaller amount of current. A seemingly impossible challenge, but in reality, it is elementary to win. It all lies in considering small precautions that can lead to huge benefits.
For example, a computer (tablet or smartphone) consumes more power when RAM and ROM are busiest. This means, for instance, that it is sufficient to avoid keeping programs open unnecessarily to make a first small contribution to the environmental cause. To reduce your digital environmental impact, keep your device tidy, eliminating unnecessary files. The same thing, of course, concerns the browser windows. Also, the concept is precisely the same: the more windows you keep open simultaneously, the more your device works, and the more consumption increases and, therefore, emissions.
Another sustainability tip concerns the deletion of unused files: those present in forgotten folders, those distributed in the various clouds, and even those inside the recycle bin. By deleting these files, the user does not give up practically anything, but, at the same time, he manages to reduce his level of digital pollution. It would also be essential to maintain a particular order within the device. This does not only mean avoiding duplicate files but also distributing them properly. In this sense, the massive presence of files, folders, and shortcuts on desktops considerably increases energy consumption. So to be more eco-friendly, it might be enough to empty your digital desks, keeping files and programs in folders.
Helpful Tips Dedicated To The Smartphone World
All the digital eco-sustainability suggestions given in the previous paragraph are valid both if you use a computer and if you mainly use a smartphone. However, many other universally valid tips allow you to reduce environmental impact with the most straightforward “clicks.” Among these, there are some particularly suitable for the world of new smartphones. The first concerns the brightness settings, which contemporary smartphones tend to manage automatically: this means that they independently adjust the screen’s brightness level based on the surrounding environmental conditions.
The screen’s brightness is one of the main reasons for battery consumption and, therefore, energy: both for a smartphone and tablet or computer. To consume less energy, keeping the brightness under manual control is always advisable. The same goes for many other device settings: from activating Bluetooth to connection settings. By saving electricity, consumption is held, and more sustainable behaviors are implemented. A user attentive to the issue of sustainability should therefore ask himself how much he needs always to be connected to the network.
To stay on smartphones, we must finally talk about the environmental impact of emails and phone calls. For years, emails were a green means of communication, especially compared to “classic” letters. Reducing paper consumption is excellent news, but emails also impact the environment, albeit minimal. Indeed, several experts in the sector believe that to protect the environment, in some cases, it is advisable to call rather than send an email message.
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