Thanks to the internet, there is a lot of content that is now available at the tip of our fingertips. Video streaming sites like Netflix have allowed easier access to a wide range of movies and television shows, making it easier for people to catch up to their favorite shows and more with ease.
Though video streaming sites have offered ways to access all kinds of content on the current state of our environment and all of the preservation efforts we and other people have been making in order to help out—it turns out binge-watching content on sites like these causes more harm than good.
Recent studies have shown that our habit of binging Netflix and other video content have been producing carbon emissions that are harming the environment. The Shift Project notes that watching a half-hour show produces 1.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions. In the past year alone, video streaming services have produced emissions equivalent to Spain, and this amount may double in the next six years.
The main source of carbon emissions, according to Greenpeace, are their servers. The increasing quality of digital videos leads to servers to process more data and consume more energy in order to devices to play high-definition videos instantly. A study by Nature shows that servers contribute about 0.3 percent of all carbon emissions.
Aside from video quality, screen sizes are also increasing. The Consumer Technology Association predicts that the average television size in 2021 could grow as big as 50 inches. Screens with 4K resolution use up 30 percent more energy compared to high-definition screens, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
All of this combined results in “a waste of resources on all levels,” according to Laurent Lefevre of the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation.
So, how can we make our viewing experience more eco-friendly? Tech researchers suggest disabling autoplay on video streaming sites, and not viewing high-definition videos when you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network. Lefevre also suggests avoiding videos over a 3G connection on mobile devices.
For users who want to see how their internet use affects the internet, The Shift Project offers a browser plug-in called the Carbonalyser, which displays the amount of electricity used, the carbon dioxide produced, and the distance a user would have to drive in order to match these emissions.