This digital magazine on environmentalism will support you with information and inspiration. We'll give you free access to a range of creative outlets and conversations all about the climate crisis.
so what is digitisation doing to the environment?
Mining: Electronic devices are made up of minerals and metals that can only be found through mining. Mining is responsible for 7% of greenhouse gases emitted and is a huge driver of deforestation and soil erosion. About 44% of operational mines are found in forests. The process is a major hazard to local com- munities as well as wildlife, as it contaminates soil and water.
Electronic waste: Huge amounts of waste is creat- ed because of how quickly devices become outdated or faulty. E-waste is predicted to rise by 347 million tonnes a year globally, with only 17% of it being correctly re- cycled. It often contains substances like lead and cad- mium that are harmful to people and the environment. Disposal also emits greenhouse gases: for every 1, 10 tonnes of CO2 are released.
Manufacturing: manufacturing electronic devices re- quires large amounts of energy: 80% of the carbon foot- print of a smartphone comes from manufacturing, need- ing 100x more energy per gram than a car. The inclusion of chemicals and solvents in this process can pollute the air and nearby water supplies. Additionally, the mass of materials consumed for production is 50-350x greater than the mass of the final products.
Water consumption: Cooling data centres and man- ufacturing devices requires vast amounts of water, which limits nearby water supplies. Data centres can consume up to 19 million litres a day. Many institutions are banning the use of technology that require data cooling centres use water most inefficiently, like Al tools.
Emissions: The UN states that the tech industry caus- es 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and this will only increase with rapid digitalisation in the modern world.