Technology improves our lives, no question about that. And, as technology changes, its impact on the environment is different. Western society quickly adapts and evolves new technology, growing modern methods of production out of our historical past. For example, book publishing began as Illuminated manuscripts that were hand-printed on vellum, animal skin that has been altered to prevent petrification. In order to produce vellum, animals had to be raised, slaughtered, and their skin worked by hand, a slow process meaning the ecological impact of vellum was small.
When books are produced, trees are cut down and processed using machinery, a noticeably faster process that impacts our environment more. Today, we consume most of our words on back-lit screens, a technology dependent on electricity. But, as technology development speeds up and shapes our modern world, the ecological effects of technology are becoming more impactful and threatening.
One of the most innovative and useful modern inventions is “the cloud”. Cloud storage is when digital data is stored in multiple servers, sometimes in multiple locations. A server is a piece of computer hardware that provides functionalities, such as storing data or running software, to a network. On the customer’s end, the data appears in one place, but in reality, the data is spread among many servers which are owned by a data storage host. Microsoft OneDrive, Google WorkSpace, and Dropbox for Business are all examples of data storage hosts.
One of the most useful aspects of cloud storage is the ability to access the data stored on the cloud from anywhere in the world, not just a specific device. Most of us store our personal information in the cloud, using iCloud to sync contact information across our Apple devices and Google Drive to save and share important documents. The formless nature of storing data in the cloud deceives us into forgetting the material cost of technology, but this modern convenience comes at a significant ecological price.
Cloud storage is entirely dependent on huge amounts of energy to function.
Not only do data centers need electricity to run the servers hosting our data, but they also generate amazing amounts of heat while running 24/7. The air conditioners that play a critical role in modern day technology by cooling down server rooms also use large amounts of energy. And while some technology companies like Apple and Google have pledged to invest in renewable energy and carbon-offsets, right now we are running the cloud on eighteenth century technology.
70% of America’s data centers are in North Virginia, a state powered by natural gas and coal. Today, the cloud has a larger carbon footprint than the entire airline industry, a staggering thought.
AI, another wonder in our modern world, has a different type of ecological cost. We use AI in a variety of industries already, despite it being an innovation. AI is used in business to handle and analyze large amounts of data easily, automate repetitive tasks, and diagnose medical issues.
Recently, a mom found the solution to her son’s unexplainable pain and reduced mobility that had been a mystery to 17 doctors by using AI. After 3 years of searching, she plugged in her son’s treatment files one line at a time into ChatGPT. Within a few seconds, she found the correct medical diagnosis. The possibilities of AI are seemingly limitless. But in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint, AI relies on water for cooling.
Every time ChatGPT is asked around 10 questions, servers consume about 2 cups of water to use for cooling. Thus far, Microsoft’s AI model has consumed more than 1.7 billion gallons of water, or enough water to fill 2,500 Olympic-sized pools. In our world where billions have no access to clean water for drinking or growing crops, the development and use of AI involves important ethical implications.
Water’s undersupply is already felt today and will become more scarce as climate change accelerates. In 2023, unincorporated suburbs in Arizona were cut-off from previously stable water supplies and former wetlands in Louisiana burned in a series of unprecedented wildfires, issues arising from a lack of water. Water stress will continue to increase going forward.
Not all is hopeless, however. We don’t have to throw away our technology and become luddites. Data storage businesses are building advanced hyperscale data centers that reduce energy usage by 25%, meaning smaller energy-hungry data centers can be closed. Server farm architects design hyperscale data centers to utilize gray water for cooling, organize servers on the racks to vent heat optimally and use free air cooling to reduce the environmental impact of data centers.
As consumers of modern digital technology, we can help by deleting our useless data stored in the cloud, avoid or reduce our use of digital currency like Bitcoin or by going outside. Not destroying ourselves with the nuclear bomb was the first challenge we faced as a species.
Perhaps climate change is our next.
