Green Computing: A Better Future With Sustainable Tech

Information Technology has played an important part in making the world a better place, however, it also has its fair share of impacting the health of the environment. Therefore, the concept of green computing is becoming more popular.

Green computing means reducing the carbon footprint of tech gadgets. It is similar to green chemistry aimed at reducing the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing a product, maximizing energy efficiency, and increasing the biodegradability of disused products so that it does not add to the environmental waste.

History of Green Computing

The concept of sustainable computing was powered in 1992, by the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA started a voluntary labeling program called Energy Star designed to recognize electronic devices that met the energy efficiency standards.

This program laid the foundation of Sleeping Mood and other initiatives to accelerate green computing.

EPA also founded the expansion of this program with the Global Electronics Council to start the Electronic Product Environment Assessment Tool. EPEAT is a product registry that assesses the computing tools on 51 criteria and measures a product’s efficiency and sustainability attributes.

TCO certification also dates back to 1992. TCO was created by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees which ensured that the computer equipment purchased by employees is eco-friendly.

This program initially promoted low magnetic and electric emissions from CRT-based computing displays but was later expanded to energy consumption, use of hazardous materials in the production, and ergonomics of computer devices.

The initiatives that were taken decades ago largely contributed to the idea of sustainability in computing. According to a report in 2017, around 100 industries and governments across 22 countries are now promoting green ICTs.

Why Green Computing Is Important?

You might be thinking about how a small device like a smartphone can affect the environment. Well, here is the truth, the manufacturing of a smartphone can leave around 85% carbon footprint, making it potentially hazardous for the environment. Moreover, the production, extraction of metal, and transportation of smartphones have worsened deforestation and water pollution.

We often overlook the fact that the production of these devices uses silicon, plastic, iron, aluminum, and copper. The processes of extracting metals also induce solid and liquid waste. The production facilities in various locations around the world have also contributed to climate change.

Similarly, the manufacturing of computers, laptops, or any device that uses fossil fuel for functioning is causing a significant greenhouse effect. According to statistics, the IT sector is responsible for 5-9% of the electricity use and causes 2% of all emissions.

Furthermore, stats show that smartphones, desktops, and data centers are responsible for 11%, 7%, and 45% of the total carbon footprint of the Information and Communication Technology sector.

Therefore, the ICT sector needs to switch to green computing so that people can use these devices without harming the climate.

Benefits of Green Computing

The tech industry is known for its massive use of electricity which makes it not so eco-friendly. So, switching to green computing is greatly benefiting the sustainability of the tech industry and the environment alike. Here are some of the benefits of sustainable IT. 

Reduced Carbon Emission: as mentioned previously, the greenhouse effect is a most substantial drawback of tech, therefore, the most immediate benefit of green computing is reducing carbon emissions. The tech industry can reduce climate change by manufacturing products using more eco-friendly materials and making chipsets that are more energy efficient.

Similarly, reducing the use of non-renewable energy to power these devices can also reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, facilitating the employees to work from home, if you are a business owner can also reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating the need for daily transport and office space.

Low Energy Consumption: As green computing devices are designed for energy efficiency, they can help you lower electricity consumption and electronic waste. For example, cloud computing is more eco-friendly and energy-efficient than the physical servers and hardware of traditional computing.

Reduced Electronic Waste: Sustainable computing is the foundation of the extended lifespan of computing equipment. When the devices are made durable, there is a lesser need for frequent hardware replacement which significantly reduces the e-waste. Also, a more sustainable device means, there is less need to produce new equipment.

 Refurbishing of electronic devices also helps in reducing electronic waste. As e-waste exacerbates the solid waste which further increases the release of toxic materials in the landfill, there is a huge risk to health and the ecosystem. So, encouraging proper disposal and recycling of electronic equipment comes in handy. Moreover, using biodegradable materials for manufacturing a device allows the regain of minerals.

Optimization of Resources: on-premises hardware are extensive and require more power supply so green computing encourages the use of cloud computing. This not only reduces the hardware requirement but also reduces the energy consumption enabling a a better allocation of resources.

Technologies like Turbonomic Application Resource Management can help you analyze the resources required to run an application. This ensures the application only uses what it needs which helps in reducing the cost and carbon footprint.

Cloud computing is more efficient and improves the system performance. Therefore, green computing inspires organizations to use cloud computing.

Sustainability: lastly, when you adapt to green computing you are not only innovatively using technology but also helping the plant. As IT professionals, Business owners, and citizens, it is our responsibility to enhance the health of our ecosystem. With green IT, you are not only focused on making smaller and faster devices but more centered on making sustainable devices that reduce emissions. This can be done by using recycled plastic, recycled earth elements, and eco-friendly packaging.

Examples of Green Computing Initiatives

Many industries realized the need for green computing and embarked on the journey to make technology for a green future. Following are the few examples we picked.

1. The Green Energy Initiative in Ireland is a program that encourages data centers to use renewable energy sources for power. In 2020, about 80% of the data centers in Ireland switched to green energy which makes green computing a dream come true. A similar project called The Green Grid is also dedicated to promoting the energy efficiency of data centers and computing systems. This program was founded by notable companies including, HP, Dell, APC, AMD, and more.
2. iMasons Climate Accord: This coalition was founded in 2022 and is focused on reducing the carbon footprint in digital infrastructure.
3. Microsoft’s Carbon-Negative Program: Microsoft’s step towards technology for a green future is commendable. They are dedicated to going carbon-negative by 2030 and removing all the carbon from the environment that the company has emitted since its foundation by 2025.
4. Google’s Sustainability Program: Google is also committed to making sustainable changes by implementing innovative projects. The company is now prioritizing the use of renewable energy and recycling waste to decrease the carbon footprint of its data centers.

This is not the end because product manufacturing companies such as Apple and Samsung are now using recycled material to make their products more eco-friendly.

 According to Apple, the iPhone 14 is made of recycled gold wire, recycled plastic, and earth elements, Similarly, Samsung also claimed that their Galaxy S22 series is manufactured using sea-bounded plastic.

These companies are continuously working towards sustainability and when a giant company takes the issue seriously, it urges the industry to follow, so we are helpful of better and greener days.

Green Computing in the Future

As the tech industry is growing fast, its use will also increase. With everything connected to computers, will it be possible to maintain the standards of sustainability? If we look at the history and how fast green computing has come this far, the answer is yes. Green ICT is not just a far-fetched thought now, because almost every company is focused on making their products more environmentally friendly.

In the future, we are expecting engineers to develop efficient hardware that will deliver fast performance with low energy consumption. We are also expecting a great shift toward renewable sources of energy for electricity which will significantly reduce the greenhouse effect.

Also, the integration of artificial intelligence in computing will further revolutionize the IT sector. Machine learning algorithms are already helping in analyzing system efficiency which makes green computing possible.

What You Can Do To Make IT Green?

Now that you are familiar with the initiatives industries and organizations are taking toward green computing, let’s take a look at how you can contribute. As end users, you play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the environment while using a specific product.

Therefore, make sure to use features like hibernation or sleep mode and necessary screen brightness while using the computing devices, so the battery does not drain faster and you do not have to charge again. This will not only reduce the power use of the device but also extend the lifespan of the device.

Also, make sure you turn off your computer and disconnect the peripherals when not using it. The other desktop devices that often remain plugged in even when not in use are speakers and printers. Make sure you only turn them on when needed.

 Refill printer cartridges instead of purchasing new ones.

Try to buy refurbished equipment rather than new ones, to reduce electronic waste. Also, properly dispose of a device to improve sustainability. Always check the efficiency of a device before buying it. You can use Energy Star to get an efficiency rating of equipment before purchasing. These little steps will make large-scale and long-term impacts on the environment.

Final Analysis

Over years of human development, we have put too much burden on our environment that it has become unsustainable. Climate change, the greenhouse effect, diseases caused by excess industrial waste, and poor management are costing our planet. Therefore, now is the need to realize we must take serious action in every sector including IT.

By now, you must have realised now a tiny handheld device can cause so much harm, therefore, do not take green computing as a buzzword. Green computing is the future of the IT industry as solar energy is the future of electricity. It is crucial to understand the need for sustainability to preserve the environment before it’s too late. The use of energy-efficient software, hardware, AI optimizations, and dedication to do better will hopefully reduce carbon emissions.

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