> The internet is responsible for around 5% of global carbon emissions.
Right, the internet (not necessarily the web)
> The solution however is fairly simple — use less data
Agreed.
> Fast, accessible websites usually produce less CO2
That's a drop in the bucket. If you look at what's _actually_ using data on the internet, it's streaming services (netflix, zoom, spotify). Fast, accessible websites have plenty of benefits, but if you want to actually reduce the amount of waste, far more effective solutions are things like lowering your video quality slightly (backgrounding futurama? Drop it to 480p.)
Can someone concisely explain how using more data in a general sense is contributing to CO2 emissions? I mean, if I use Bittorrent for example, the data is flowing through ISPs and from users' computers. I imagine the impact is negligible in the grand scheme of things. For hosted service I understand there's some cost to the datacenters used to serve the data, but the processing certainly has much more of an impact.
At the end of the day, the real culprit is the infrastructure, and emergence of tech giants who don't have environmental sustainability anywhere in their mission.
Right, the internet (not necessarily the web)
> The solution however is fairly simple — use less data
Agreed.
> Fast, accessible websites usually produce less CO2
That's a drop in the bucket. If you look at what's _actually_ using data on the internet, it's streaming services (netflix, zoom, spotify). Fast, accessible websites have plenty of benefits, but if you want to actually reduce the amount of waste, far more effective solutions are things like lowering your video quality slightly (backgrounding futurama? Drop it to 480p.)