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Increasing Internet use means higher energy costs
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TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: The Internet, as most of us know, can be an amazingly valuable tool. It can also be a colossal waste of time. All told, we watched 700 billion YouTube videos this year. That's according to the company itself. It's also a whole lot of Justin Bieber and random cat videos. But all those songs, bloopers and bad comedy come at a price.
We asked Marketplace Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill to find out just how much energy the Internet uses.
Adriene Hill: 17 million people have watched a three-year-old cry over a YouTube pop star.
Toddler: 'Cause I love Justin Bieber.
Woman: You're crying because you love Justin Bieber?
Toddler: Yes.
But, watching that gem and doing all the other things we do online -- from paying our bills to downloading movies -- takes electricity. Electricity to power data centers, servers, computers and iPhones.
Author Stan Cox estimates that next year the U.S. digital network will drain as much energy as the whole country of Mexico produces.
All that energy creates CO2. According to Molly Webb of The Climate Group, information technology systems globally account for 2-3 percent of total carbon emissions. And...
Webb: It is growing and it's growing mainly because of the new applications, video.
But, Rich Brown from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says it's important to keep it in perspective. The Internet is still a relatively small energy suck, compared to things like cars.
Rich Brown: That shouldn't be the primary focus of where we're trying to cut energy use. There's a lot bigger fish to fry.
Which means I don't have to feel too guilty about spending a few minutes watching the latest Taylor Swift video... except maybe that it's Taylor Swift.
I'm Adriene Hill for Marketplace.
We live in an exponentially expanding and increasingly interconnected world, and it is by largely digital means that organizations such as the Climate Group have been able to effect positive change and elevate global awareness about environmental impacts and the need for behavioral change. As a result of these collective efforts, direct mail and print are down, digital communication is on the rise, and virtual workplaces are becoming the norm. But as with everything in life, there are no free choices and there is an opportunity cost to every decision. I agree with Rich Brown's comments - let's make sure we don't lose perspective. In the end, it's about finding balance in all things - consumption vs. conservation, people vs. the planet.
As a frequent Marketplace PM listener and a producer for Public Radio, I was discouraged to hear the following as part of Adriene Hill's December 23 report on the Internet's increasing energy consumption though the Internet is still a 'relatively small energy suck.'
"...which means I don't have to feel too guilty about spending a few minutes watching the latest Taylor Swift video... except maybe that it's Taylor Swift."
What is a Ms. Hill's personal, editorializing comment about the merits of Taylor Swift doing in a piece about Internet energy use? Had Ms. Hill, as a reputable critic, been reviewing Taylor Swift's newest compact disc, music video or concert tour, the comment would have been acceptable. However, the subject matter did not warrant the comment nor Ms. Hill's rather snarky tone.
Please be mindful that Marketplace is a well-respected program and is never made better by resorting to seemingly mean-spirited superfluous commentary.
