You already know that every little thing counts, and that every time you click on something you are contributing to the pollution of the planet. We’re giving you some advice to help you reduce your carbon footprint while you’re surfing the web.
Do you use ridesharing? Do you buy local products? Does the environmental policy of your favourite clothing brand concern you? If so, you’re probably interested in learning how you can limit the CO2 emissions you produce with your daily use of technology. These are the keys to “digital sobriety” according to The Shift Project.
- Don’t buy the latest model and charge your devices less often
Do you really need the best smartphone on the market? One of the keys to reducing your carbon footprint is buying less powerful devices, as this will reduce energy consumption. The digital sobriety commandments also recommend charging them less frequently. Leave your charger at home and you will save energy and make some space in your handbag!
- Stay away from streaming
Streaming is the biggest enemy of your environmental conscience and is responsible for 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, a figure that continues to rise. To avoid it, reduce your daily watching time. Content creators can also reduce the size of the videos, as this will decrease the amount of energy required to share them and the greenhouse gas emissions that they cause.
- Eliminate superfluous use of technology
Up to eighty percent of the videos we watch on the internet are for fun or because they are advertising material. The key to digital sobriety is reflection. The big question is “Am I watching this video because I want to or because the platform wants me to?”. The Shift Project explains this further in the video below. But think carefully before watching it: playing it will release 8.7 grams of CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Use the internet in moderation
This one is not just for the environment, it’s also beneficial for your mental health. Forget about looking at your social media every 5 minutes and set a fixed amount of time for daily use. In today’s world, John Lennon would say “Life is what happens when you’re looking at your smartphone screen”.
- Use Ecosia instead of Google.
For every search made on the platform, Ecosia plants a tree. Eighty percent of the profits it makes form advertising are used to plant trees in areas that need them.
