Data transfer and processing leads to energy consumption
USA, Feb 11: A recent research study by Purdue and Yale Universities, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that turning off the camera during virtual meetings helps to reduce a person’s carbon footprint (total amount of CO2 generated by one’s action). One hour of video conferencing or streaming emits 150-1,000 gms of CO2. Additionally, it requires 2 – 12 litres of water and a land area the size of an iPad mini. To put this in context, a gallon of gasoline burned from a car emits about 9 kilograms of CO2.
The researchers explained that the carbon footprint is largely due to how internet data is stored and transferred, as well as the fact that data processing uses a lot of electricity. They suggest that turning off the camera during virtual meetings help reduce a person’s carbon footprint of the call by 96 percent. Also, streaming content in home entertainment in standard definition instead of high definition can cut down CO2 levels of that activity by up to 86 percent.
