Save our Mother Earth, protect environment
Billions of emails and messages are sent worldwide every day, and sustainable effect is the last thing we consider because online activity leaves no reason to think about the ecopractices. What if it is told that even messaging, as clean and green as it seems, actually has a carbon footprint?
Worldwide, the use of mobile messaging and social apps is growing at a higher rate; the most popular messaging app in the world is WhatsApp with more than 2.24 billion monthly active users. Video streaming services account for about 82 per cent of internet traffic and could increase further in the coming years.
Sending an email or SMS has an environmental impact because the cell phone or the computer needs electricity to work and to be able to send a message, but the energy needed to manage, transport, and store this data is what has the biggest ecological impact.
A plain message typed in SMS or an email (with no image or attachment) does not have the same environmental impact. This happens because they don’t use the same technologies, as used for heavy files with images/attachments. Whereas SMS use the frequencies of conventional telephony, instant messages and emails use internet dataflow. These are different ways of processing data that spend different amounts of energy.
Approximately 3332 billion emails were sent and received in 2022 worldwide. It is estimated that in 2023 the number will be 3473 billion. This means that plenty of dataflow takes place. Dataflow consumes energy and therefore releases CO2.
So, from an environmental perspective what’s the most sustainable option? Should we use SMS, an instant message via an app or send an email?
An average email emits 4 grams of CO2 and an SMS emits 0.014 grams of CO2. SMS uses less energy and emits less CO2 than emails. Sending an SMS text is apparently the most environment-friendly way of conversing.
The best way to reduce the carbon footprint is to send emails when you need to or when you think the recipients will appreciate your message sent by mail. Delete all your unwanted e-mails if you want to save storage space.
Avoid or reduce sending WhatsApp messages which are not necessary. Do not forward images only for the sake of sending something. Think twice before sending a selfie or a ‘good morning’ message. It emits 5g of CO2 which is more than a regular email.
