The Climate Impact of Digital Technology

We are in the thick of a digital movement.

Our screens are a core part of our daily lives and have served us well during the pandemic where the world was forced home and we sought to connect with loved ones, work colleagues, and even leaned on digital entertainment to help those lockdown days go a little faster.

And there is no doubt that online activity will continue to rise. But at what cost to the environment?

Today, I explore this question with my guest, Dr Mike Hazas who is a Professor in Human-Computer Interaction at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Mike’s research is concerned with everyday practices and digital technologies, and how they can be related to sustainability in particular energy demand and carbon emissions. Much of his recent work has focused on the proliferation of online services such as streaming social networking, gaming, and their invisible impacts due to the internet and data centres.

We discuss the environmental impacts of our digital footprint from zoom calls to streaming, gaming and all the activities that require high energy demands.

It’s also a reminder of how we can be conscious of how we spend time online. Ways we can extend the life of our devices and our part to play in this space.

You can connect with Mike at Uppsala University or on LinkedIn