In the SUX Podcast Episode 15, titled “A Fossil-Free Internet by 2030,” Hannah Smith shared her insights on sustainability and the crucial role of rethinking our digital practices.
Understanding Sustainability
Hannah defines sustainability as meeting today’s needs while ensuring there’s enough left for future generations. This definition goes beyond environmental concerns, emphasizing personal and societal endurance. It’s about a balanced approach, acknowledging that perfection isn’t possible but striving for incremental improvements.
This idea resonates deeply with the challenges of implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Every action has trade-offs: improving one area often comes at a cost in another. Progress lies in collective effort, finding a balance that optimizes outcomes for all stakeholders.
The Mission for a Fossil-Free Internet
The Green Web Foundation, where Hannah works, aims to achieve a fossil-free internet by 2030. They offer tools like the Green Web Check service, which identifies whether a website is hosted by a provider using renewable energy, and CO2.JS, a toolkit for measuring carbon emissions in tech. Their mission highlights the tangible steps individuals and organizations can take to reduce their digital carbon footprint. Despite these efforts, the internet remains far from being fossil-free.
Awareness is critical. Many people wrongly assume that digital services operate in an intangible “cloud,” when in reality, they depend on physical infrastructure with significant environmental impacts. Hannah emphasizes that we need to reduce reliance on tech, scaling down digital infrastructure alongside improving efficiency. This approach recognizes that innovation alone cannot solve this problem, some actions require scaling back consumption entirely.
Global Inequalities in Digital Consumption
One of the podcast’s most striking revelations is the disparity between tech consumption in the global north and south. The global north’s overconsumption of AI and other technologies often exploits resources and labor from less-developed regions. For instance, moderators in developing countries endure traumatic tasks, such as filtering harmful content, to ensure safe user experiences elsewhere.
This imbalance highlights the ethical dimension of digital sustainability. Addressing these inequities involves recognizing the hidden human costs behind the “magic” of digital services and finding ways to reduce exploitation while meeting the true needs of all communities.
The Power of Stories and Creativity
Hannah argues that stories play a crucial role in shaping perspectives on the internet and sustainability. Whether real or imaginative, stories can inspire action and help envision a better digital future. She cautions, however, that technologies like AI threaten human creativity by encouraging over-reliance on machines for imaginative tasks.
If left unchecked, this trend could erode the skills and creativity of future generations. While AI offers short-term productivity gains, it risks undermining long-term societal efficiency by removing opportunities to learn foundational skills. A sustainable digital future must prioritize human creativity and imagination.
Actionable Steps Toward Digital Sustainability
So, how can individuals contribute to digital sustainability? Hannah provides practical suggestions:
- Embrace Longevity: Use tech devices for as long as possible and resist the urge to upgrade unnecessarily.
- Slow Down: Avoid rushing into adopting new technologies. Instead, take the time to evaluate their impact.
- Bake in Accessibility: Ensure tech products are accessible to as many people as possible, prioritizing inclusivity over novelty.
- Start Conversations: Discuss digital sustainability within your social circles and beyond, spreading awareness about the physical and social costs of digital infrastructure.
- Reassess AI Use: Consider whether AI is necessary for specific tasks or if a human touch could provide more value.
Lessons Learned
From Hannah’s discussion, here are three key lessons about digital sustainability:
- Perfection Isn’t the Goal, Progress Is: Achieving sustainability isn’t about flawless solutions but about making small, meaningful changes that collectively drive improvement.
- Digital Has a Physical Cost: The internet’s environmental impact isn’t limited to energy consumption, it includes the resource-intensive production of tech infrastructure. Awareness of this connection is foundational to change.
- Equity Matters: True sustainability must address global inequalities in digital consumption and labor. Without considering these disparities, progress will remain incomplete.
Links
SUX: https://sustainableuxnetwork.com
The Green Web Foundation: https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org
Branch Magazine: https://branch.climateaction.tech
