Environmental Impact of Digital Communication Part II
Have you ever wondered what your digital habits and communication have on climate change? Especially now with this pandemic-driven shift to remote work and more at-home entertainment, it presents significant environmental impacts due to how internet data is stored and transferred around the world. The majority of the carbon emissions from the Internet comes from the information communications and technology industry, which delivers the internet, video, and cloud services we use on a daily basis. A huge area for improvement is the systems that make up these industries, and is an area of study having a huge resurgence in the academic world. In this eye-opening two-part episode, we interviewed PhD candidate from McGill University, Helen Hayes, to chat about her research on the intersections between tech policy, data collection/digitization, and oil extraction. In Part 2, we continued our conversation on how and who is causing environmental degradation within these industries, mitigation techniques and next steps individuals can do to help, and highlighted the urgent need for a paradigm shift in our discourse on climate change, specifically within the media and journalism.
Find this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen!
Click HERE to listen to part I!
Click HERE to view the transcription of this episode
Additional Resources
The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. On The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast and in the book of the same name, #1 New York Times bestselling author John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down) reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale.
Does climate change freak you out? Want to know what we, collectively, can do about it? Us too. How to Save a Planet is a podcast that asks the big questions: what do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? Join journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, as they scour the Earth for solutions, talk to people who are making a difference, ask hard questions, crack dumb jokes and — episode by episode — figure out how to build the future we want.
Want to learn more about Helen and follow along on her research and PhD journey? You can follow Helen on twitter at @helen__hayes.
#RisingYouth and Start The Wave helped to make this episode possible. #RisingYouth is a program led by TakingITGlobal to help youth in Canada develop life skills by giving back to their communities. Start the Wave is a non-profit organisation focused on empowering and supporting projects that create positive change worldwide. If you have a community project idea, check out both #RisingYouth and Start The Wave!
