How to Green Your Internet Use


How to Green Your Internet Use

Because streaming cat videos has a footprint too.

🌍 Invisible but Impactful

The internet feels immaterial — just pixels, Wi-Fi, and magic.
But behind every Google search, Netflix binge, or TikTok scroll lies a network of energy-guzzling data centres, servers, and cooling systems.

If the internet were a country, it would be one of the top five global carbon emitters.

📶 What’s Using the Most Power?

Here’s the carbon cost of common online activities:

ActivityEstimated CO₂
Streaming 1 hour of HD video360g CO₂
Streaming 1 hour of music55g CO₂
Browsing websites (1 hour)5g CO₂
Posting to social media1.5g CO₂

Source: Shift Project / IEA / Various estimates

⚡ 10 Ways to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint

  1. Lower your streaming quality (HD → SD, especially on small screens)

  2. Download videos/music instead of repeatedly streaming

  3. Turn off autoplay on YouTube and social media

  4. Use dark mode (especially on OLED screens)

  5. Block ads and tracking scripts — they load extra data

  6. Clean your inbox — fewer emails = less storage demand

  7. Unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t read

  8. Use search engines that plant trees (like Ecosia)

  9. Shut down devices properly, not just standby

  10. Use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data – it’s more energy efficient

📱 Apps You Might Want to Rethink

  • TikTok and Instagram are data-heavy, autoplaying high-resolution videos constantly

  • Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube: huge carbon costs if left running

  • Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) contributes more than you think

Final Thought

You don’t have to unplug to make a difference.

Just click consciously and remember — even your data has a footprint. 

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