Our use of internet-connected devices could hinder efforts to mitigate climate change on the planet, according to a new study, according to Climate Home News. The billions of devices that many of us use every day will generate 3.5 percent of global emissions within 10 years and 14 percent by 2040. This will lead to the fact that by 2025 the industry will consume about 20 percent of all electricity in the world. This growing problem threatens progress towards meeting climate change targets and could complicate the operation of electricity grids.
These dire consequences stem from one major factor - the rapidly growing energy demands of server farms that store data from billions of smart devices. As we acquire more devices, increasingly using huge amounts of data and technology, these servers require significantly more power.
Swedish researcher Anders Andra believes that industrial energy needs will increase from 200-300 terawatt-hours of electricity per year to 1200 or even 3000 TWh by 2025. Andra comments: “The situation is alarming. A data tsunami is looming over us. Everything that is possible will be digitized. This is the perfect storm. There is 5G technology, IP traffic is growing much more than expected, and all cars and machines, robots and artificial intelligence are producing and processing huge amounts of digital data that are stored in data centers."
Digital universe
The data we use and the digital devices we own become important elements to consider when we think about saving resources. Financial investments must be taken into account, since it was recently discovered that for mining and using the bitcoin cryptocurrency, more energy is consumed than 159 countries need combined.
But that doesn't mean we need to ditch all devices. According to UN experts, easy access to information provided by the Internet is not only a valuable resource, it is a human right. The education that can be obtained through the Internet is an integral part of modern life. But as companies continue to advance technology, and we continue to consume it, it is important for both parties to consider the impact this will have on the future.
Sergey Lukavsky
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