Checking email, listening to music or sending a photo on WhatsApp are actions that a large part of the population does daily. All of them involve devices with which we create and consume data, networks that transport this information, and data centers that store it. And all this entails a digital carbon footprint. As Juan F. Samaniego explains in a recent report, the cloud is not ethereal. It consumes energy which, most of the time, comes from fossil fuels. Technology companies must adopt measures to reduce their energy consumption, so that it stops coming from fossil fuels, and so that the impact of these companies is less. However, if you are one of those who feels eco-anxiety about this problem and – while that big change that is needed arrives – you want to do something about it, here you go Some tips to consume less energy and reduce thus reducing your impact on the climate: Do not listen to music on YouTube if you are not interested in watching the video.
It is preferable to use applications like Spotify. Google less. Save those pages that you visit the most in your browser bookmarks instead of searching for them every time. Doing so loads thousands of results. Connect to wired Internet when you're at home or the office. It consumes less energy than if you use the Wi-Fi connection. If you are away from home, you will consume up to 15 times less energy if you request access to the Wi-Fi network WhatsApp Number List than if you use 3G or 4G. 5G consumes even more energy. Download content instead of watching it streaming. Avoid video calls. Perhaps you can avoid turning on the camera and leave only the audio on in virtual meetings. Clear your email inbox. It is an arduous task, but you can start by deleting messages with attachments, the server allows you to filter these emails and they are the ones that take up the most space. Unsubscribe from those newsletters that no longer interest you.
If you receive commercial emails that do not interest you, at the bottom you should find the option to unsubscribe from these communications. You will save space in the email and time deleting them. When you reply to an email, you can delete the chain of previous messages if they are not relevant. Turn off video autoplay in your browser or social media settings. Save your files locally and not in the cloud when possible. You can also use an external memory drive, although it is true that there is a greater risk of losing them. As a note, if you have a website or are a content creator: Optimize images before uploading them. The less they weigh, the less data they consume. Use images in jpg format and avoid png ones. Compress PDF files before uploading or sending them, this will save a lot of space and energy. Upload videos when they add value to your content, responsibly and efficiently.