The+Unsustainable+Internet


 * · "We need more data centres, we need more servers. Each server burns more watts than the previous generation and each watt costs more. If you compound all of these trends, you have the perfect storm." - Subodh Bapat, vice-president at Sun Microsystems
 * · "Efficiency is being more than overwhelmed by continued growth and demand for new services. It's a common story … technical improvements are often taken back by increased demand." - Rich Brown, an energy analyst at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
 * · As internet traffic increases, it ramps up the carbon footprint as well as driving the internet into a possible self inflicted wounded state.


 * The Information Energy Drain**

Perhaps one of the biggest innovations of the modern age is quickly becoming one of its biggest problems as well. The Internet is growing at a rate of ten percent per year and showing no sign of slowing down. In 2006, internet usage rose to conservative estimates of 291 PB/month by comScore and high end estimates as high as 800 by [|Minnesota Internet Traffic Studies]. This equates to a whopping 85 TWh/year. This number is boosted by the need for cooling systems and other accessories for servers and internet technologies. Given CO2 emissions at a rate of 1,363 lbs of CO2 per MWh, this means that the internet produces 1,363,000,000 lbs of carbon emissions per year, recently overtaking even the airline industry. This data makes the internet the single fastest growing carbon contributor in the United States. In 2009, these traffic rates have jumped all the way to 12,000 PB/month, although emission data is not disclosed due to being considered a “trade secret”. This number may seem high, but when you consider that each Google search alone accounts for 5-10 grams of CO2, it becomes more believable. With billions of searches being run every day, the numbers start to climb dramatically. While surfing the web, every second on a given page accounts for yet another 20mg, 300mg if it happens to be a video intensive site. This should make any internet user think twice before they decide to Google a YouTube video. Another sustainability problem with the internet is the sustainability of the internet itself. With the enormous rate of growth in the internet, specifically with data intensive sites such as YouTube, the technology is having a difficult time keeping up. Despite efforts to achieve greater efficiency, it is often a one step forward two step back scenario. Growth is outpacing technology, causing costs to skyrocket and energy consumption to rise to 80 billion KWh this year. Further implications that could result from this problem are brownouts at power plants supplying data centers, website crashes, and perhaps most problematic, large scale data losses. The rapid pace of the industry is also causing an obsolescence problem. As the industry struggles to keep pace with demand, servers, routers, and other components are replaced frequently for more efficient, larger, sleeker models. The disposal of these components is similar to that of other computer components in that it can be expensive, time consuming, and deals with dangerous toxins and heavy metals, thus contributing greatly to the masses of electronics dumped in China and other third world countries as detailed on 60 Minutes.

**The (Super)Highway to Recovery**

Despite all these issues with the internet technologies, there are many efforts, led by one of the largest in the industry, Google, to improve efficiency, as well as save the industry. With investment in innovative cooling systems and data centers as well as renewable energies, the industry is lessening its footprint, costs, and energy consumption. By converting to in house data centers, Google is cutting costs from outsourcing and cloud computing by leaps and bounds. From an individual standpoint, the public simply needs to cut its internet usage. By simply not perusing FaceBook or turning off their browser when leaving the computer, the public could save pounds of CO2 emissions per year.

Collage References:

"Cable Mess – How to Avoid ? | Aavaas." //Aavaas | Indian Homes | Reviews | Appliances | Home Purchases | Renovation | Vendors | News//. 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

"Compaq - Server Bank." //Computer History Museum//. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

"E-waste « International Environmental Law." //Alphabetics Development & Investment//. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. .

//Internet Channel//. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

"While the Internet Carbon Footprint Is Rising Exponentially Google Employs Goats « Melange." //Melange//. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. .

Zittrain, Jonathan. "The Future of the Internet And How to Stop It." //:: The Future of the Internet — And How to Stop It//. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. .

Other References:

"Internet’s Carbon Footprint Growing :: ASM." //News on GIS, GNSS, Spatial Information, Remote Sensing, Mapping and Surveying Technologies for Asia – ASM :: ASM//. 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

Johnson, Bobbie. "Web Providers Must Limit Internet's Carbon Footprint, Say Experts | Environment | Guardian.co.uk." //Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk//. Guardian News and Media Ltd., 3 May 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

"MINTS - Minnesota Internet Traffic Studies." //Digital Technology Center Home//. University of Minnesota, 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

Taylor, Cody, and Jonathan Koomey. //Estimating Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Internet Advertising//. //Estimating Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Internet Advertising//. IMC2, 14 Feb. 2008. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. .