The Cloud: Not Just a Breeze

We access the Cloud constantly – storing photos, streaming videos, checking emails. But this digital convenience comes at a real-world environmental cost.

Data Centers: Energy Guzzlers

• Forget airlines, data centers are now a bigger contributor to global carbon emissions.
• A new study by anthropologist Steven Gonzalez Monserrate explores the hidden footprint of data centers, the physical infrastructure that powers the Cloud.
• Monserrate reveals how keeping servers cool consumes massive amounts of energy, often from “dirty” electricity grids.
• Even the most advanced data centers struggle to achieve true sustainability.

Water Worries

• Data centers are thirsty beasts, guzzling millions of gallons of water daily. This can strain already limited resources in drought-prone regions.
• Monserrate details the challenges communities face when data centers become water hogs.

The Unbearable Noise of the Cloud

• The constant hum of data centers isn’t just an annoyance – it’s a health hazard.
• Residents living near data centers, suffering from noise pollution and its associated health problems.
• Current noise regulations often fail to address the unique frequencies emitted by data centers.

E-waste: The Digital Graveyard

• Our insatiable appetite for new smartphones creates a growing problem – electronic waste.
• Monserrate sheds light on the toxic legacy of e-waste, often dumped in developing countries with lax environmental regulations.

Building a Sustainable Cloud

The Cloud revolutionized our lives, but its environmental impact can’t be ignored. Monserrate’s research calls for action:

• Develop more energy-efficient data centers.
• Prioritize renewable energy sources to power the Cloud.
• Extend the lifespan of electronic devices.
• Implement robust e-waste recycling programs.

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More: https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-staggering-ecological-impacts-of-computation-and-the-cloud/