Consider the following statements concerning the environmental impact of digital content consumption:

A) Digital activities contribute significantly to global carbon emissions.

B) The per capita carbon footprint of digital habits is less significant than other daily activities.

C) Mitigation strategies include increasing the durability of electronic devices.

Which of the statements above are correct?

Solution

Statement B is incorrect; digital habits have a substantial per capita carbon footprint, contributing significantly to global emissions. ·       Recent research published in Nature Communications highlights the environmental costs of digital activities such as social media use, video streaming, and web browsing, which contribute to about 40% of the per capita carbon budget to keep global warming below 1. 5 degrees Celsius . ·       These digital habits emit an average of 229 kilograms of CO2- equivalent per person per year , accounting for approximately 3- 4% of global per capita greenhouse gas emissions. ·       The study goes beyond infrastructural aspects like data centers, extending to user- specific digital content consumption patterns, which together consume 2- 3% of global electricity. ·       The environmental impact of digital consumption is significant, utilizing about 55% of the per capita carrying capacity for mineral and metal resources, 20% for freshwater eutrophication, and over 10% for particulate matter formation, ecotoxicity, and fossil resource use. ·       To mitigate these impacts, researchers suggest decarbonizing the electricity sector and enhancing carbon dioxide removal technologies to potentially reduce the climate impacts of digital activities to 12% of the per capita carrying capacity by 2030. ·       Recommendations for sustainable digital practices include increasing the lifespan of electronic devices and holding producers accountable for the full lifecycle of their products, promoting durability and reducing environmental impacts. The findings call for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to address the substantial environmental costs associated with the growing digital lifestyle.