Turn off your camera: it cuts CO2 emissions from online calls by 96% - research

 

 

Due to the global lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, most companies have switched to remote work. As a result, the carbon footprint from the use of online services has grown significantly. But it can be reduced.

So, turning off the camera during an online call can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 96%. This was reported on the website of the University of Perm, which participated in a study of the impact of the Internet on the environment.
What is it about

American scientists from Purdue University, Yale and MIT have found that 150-1000 grams of carbon dioxide are released in one hour of videoconference or streaming service. By comparison, burning a gallon of gasoline while driving a car produces 9,000 grams.

Of course, online services don't literally emit carbon dioxide. But they affect the environment indirectly - through the methods of storing and transmitting data on the Internet. Processing data on the web requires electricity, large amounts of water for cooling, and land to host servers that could instead be forested.

All this has a negative impact on the environment. The more gigabytes of data a service uses, the stronger its carbon footprint.
What internet services are the most environmentally friendly

Scientists analyzed emissions from YouTube, Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and 12 other Internet services.

    The largest carbon footprint is left by online cinemas, in particular Netflix - about 450 grams of carbon dioxide are released per hour of service operation.
    In second place is Zoom, which produces over 150 grams of CO₂ per hour.
    The top 5 also includes TikTok, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Chart: Purdue University

What to do

To reduce the carbon footprint of streaming services, it is enough to download series not in high quality, but in standard quality. This will reduce the harm to the environment by 86%.

For online conferences, scientists recommend simply turning off the webcam. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 96%, as video transmission is much more energy intensive than audio.