We are witnessing that climate change, triggered by the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causes disasters throughout much of the world. If the carbon dioxide emissions are not brought under control quickly, it is accepted by everyone that the extent of the disaster will increase. The rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 43% in the last 141 years and reached 415 ppm. Transportation and heavy industry sectors are among the leading factors of greenhouse gas emissions. With our digital carbon footprints, we also exhale carbon dioxide far beyond our expectations. As a remarkable example, digital communication surpassed the aviation industry in terms of carbon dioxide emissions in 2018.
What is a Digital Carbon Footprint?
The carbon dioxide emission that occurs in the production, use, and data transfer processes of digital tools is called the "Digital Carbon Footprint". We have a carbon footprint tied to every single email, Whatsapp message, and Netflix show we send. Every tool and network we use for this purpose produces carbon dioxide emissions. Okey but, can humans destroy the planet by sending an e-mail message ? In order to reduce carbon emissions, international institutions, governments, and industrialists are expected to take steps to solve the problem. But, how about looking at what we can do? There are 5 different things we can do to reduce our personal digital carbon emissions:
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Don’t leave your computer in sleep mode
Even though less energy is used, devices that remain in sleep mode consume energy. To contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions, we can turn off devices that are not actively used. In addition, by reducing screen brightness, we can save energy and protect the battery life of our device.
- Download
Downloading files takes less power than using them online. You can download your favorite songs and videos on your device.
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Use Your Browser Wisely
There are many saving measures you can take about browser usage. You can minimize the number of multiple tabs. For websites you visit frequently, you can use bookmarks instead of doing a Google search every time. You can turn off the auto-play option on videos. Also, you can balance your digital carbon footprint by using an alternative search engine. Search engine Ecosia, a non-profit organization, donates 80% of its profits to tree planting. With this application, it aims to reduce some of the digital carbon emissions. You can balance your carbon footprint by using Ecosia.
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Repair and Convert
Do not rush to buy an upper segment electronic device. You can have your broken devices repaired or rent the ones you don't use very often. Even if your electronic devices are bad beyond repair, you can still do something. It would be a smart choice to recycle your devices instead of throwing them away. Thus, you can prevent the waste of recyclable materials and hazardous wastes from causing water and soil pollution.
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Save the Planet, Clear Your Inbox
Every mail that arrives or is stored in your inbox requires operation power. By applying a few simple techniques, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your email correspondence. You can reduce the number of emails that are saying only 'thank you' or are in the junk category. You can unsubscribe from newsletters that you have never read. Most importantly, you can regularly clean up old emails in your inbox.
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Author:
FOUNDER and CEO