Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
Since the pandemic started, we’ve learned how to move our classes, meetings, and even parties online. It’s definitely convenient, but I’ve been wondering, how is all this extra time on the internet affecting our greenhouse gas emissions?
We had Harrison Katz and Ashley Junger from our Possibly team look into this question. Welcome, Harrison and Ashley!
Harrison Katz: Hi, Megan!
Ashley Junger: Hello!
Megan Hall: So has the pandemic increased the amount of time that we’re online?
Harrison Katz: Absolutely. In 2020, global internet use was up by about 25% compared to 2019.
Megan Hall: That’s actually not as high as I expected.
Ashley Junger: Well, it depends on what kind of internet use you’re talking about. Check this out- the number of minutes we spent in zoom meetings went up by over 3,300%!
Harrison Katz: And online shopping in the United States increased by 50%.
Megan Hall: Ok, those are big jumps! Does all of this time online affect our greenhouse gas emissions?
Harrison Katz: Well, researchers at MIT were wondering the same thing. In 2021, they conducted a study on the environmental impacts of using the internet.
Megan Hall: And what did they find out?
Ashley Junger: Our time online does have some real-world impacts. An hour-long zoom conference, for example, emits the equivalent of about a third of a pound of carbon dioxide.
Megan Hall: Is that a lot?
Harrison Katz: Not really, even if you used Zoom for 3 hours every day for a year, that would only be responsible for about the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning 20 gallons of gasoline.
Megan Hall: Wow! So talking on Zoom is a lot better than doing everything in person?
Ashley Junger: Exactly. Zoom may create some greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not much compared to driving a car.
Harrison Katz: Looking back at the start of lockdown, in March of 2020, global carbon emissions were down over 15%.
Ashley Junger: And if you consider 2020 as a whole, global carbon emissions were still down over 5% compared to 2019. All of that reduced commuting really made a difference!
Megan Hall: That’s great! Is there anything we can do to reduce our environmental impact when we’re online?
Ashley Junger: Yes. For video streaming, like Netflix, watching your movies and shows in standard definition instead of high definition reduces the environmental impact by over 80%.
Harrison Katz: For zoom conferences, video consumes a lot more power than audio. Turning off your camera can cut your emissions by over 90%! Plus you don’t have to dress up!
Ashley Junger: And when you shop online, buy items less often and in bulk. Picking a slower delivery time can have an impact too.
Harrison Katz: But the responsibility for reducing emissions isn’t just on us. Companies like Netflix and Zoom can make a major difference by changing the way they use energy.
Ashley Junger: This has already started to happen. In 2015, Netflix altered their code, which shrunk the file size of their movies and shows, resulting in 20% fewer emissions across the board.
Megan Hall: So, some simple changes can make a big impact?
Harrison Katz: Exactly!
Megan Hall: Great! Thanks, Harrison and Ashley!
That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
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Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.
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