Is the internet bad for our planet, too? 🌏
Digital view and news - week 3
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I used to think about the internet and online space as something invisible that's just floating in the air (dumb thought, I know, but with the Elon Musk Starlink satellites it's kinda true). 📡
So when I saw this great video by Vox a year ago, it blew my mind. The huge ships, factories, and cables at the bottom of the ocean astonished me. I realized that the internet and all those elements essential for its work are much more complicated than I imagined. Since then I think about the vital space and materials and how that could also be a possible threat to our climate (if we switch to everything online-only).
It's no coincidence we’re starting to hear more and more about the environmental impact of the internet and its “children”. The researchers from Cambridge University found out that Bitcoin uses more electricity annually than Argentina. 🔌
Mining - which is the way how Bitcoin is created - relies on a decentralized network of "miners" who independently record and verify every transaction made in the currency. So this means constantly running a huge network of computers. When the Bitcoin price is going up and up, that means more people want to buy and "mine" it ➡ which increases the use of electricity again. 💻
And there is another recent research from Bank of America suggesting the Bitcoin's energy consumption is similar to American Airlines or even the entire US federal government. "Each $1 billion in inflows into bitcoin uses the same amount of energy as 1.2 million cars," estimates the report.
Mining factory in Fukui, Japan. Source: photo by Kotaro Fukuoka www.asia.nikkei.com
But this isn't only about Bitcoin. All internet platforms and websites are guilty as well. Netflix revealed specific details about its carbon footprint. In short and in comparison - one hour of watching could equal less than driving an average car for 500 meters. 🚘
Online carbon calculator Website Carbon says the average website produces 1.76g of CO2 for every page view with images as the most energy-greedy.
So what's the right approach and solution to deal with internet environmental pollution? One could be to switch to a green web host - or educate people to improve their online habits. 🌱
Latest Digi Snacks 🍩
🍪 Billie Eilish is the real star of Instagram
Did you notice that the superstar Billie Eilish recently rapidly changed the colour of her hair? Do you think it’s not important? Well, maybe not… but her pic with the new colour set a new IG record and received more than one million likes in just six minutes. It's now the fastest picture in history to achieve this. 👱♀️
🍪 You can now have Gucci shoes for only 12 dollars
Gucci launched new sneakers with a $12 price tag, but you can wear them only virtually. It's its first augmented reality shoes and you can wear them only through the lens of your camera's smartphone. Is virtual clothes the new key to fashion sustainability? 👟
🍪 Buy furniture from podcasts?
Yep, you've read it right. IKEA transformed its famous annual catalog into a four-hour podcast. The narrator is reading and describing every page. Think of it as a "tour for your ears," the narrator said. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Audiobooks.com for free.
🍪 Apple and AR
The rumors are spreading online that Apple works on an AR headset and mixed reality headphones which will introduce in the upcoming years. The helmet of the headset will reportedly have cameras to track hand movements and eye-tracking technology. 🎧
🍪 Newsletters and AR watch from Facebook
Two big news from FB - the company is jumping on the newsletters trend and will develop its own newsletter creation and distribution tools to help creators generate more revenue. And FB also showed a new wrist-based wearable combining smartwatch and AR tool together. ⌚
🍪 Captions for everyone
Instagram was spotted testing a new sticker for Stories which automatically generates audio captions. And TikTok is apparently doing the same thing. 📝
One recommendation 👌
Say what you want, but this woman is a legend. 😎 The Wall Street Journal recently published an amazing profile of Kris Jenner, the “momager” behind the Kardashian empire.
During a decade, she was able to build their own reality show (with 20 seasons and millions of viewers across the world), three cosmetics brands, four fashion brands, one fragrance brand, and lately she launched a multiyear deal with the streaming service Hulu. If she’s not one of the best marketers ever, nobody is.
One thing that makes me smile 🤭
mmmm… okay 🤦♀️
That’s a wrap for week three! Did you like it? Feel free to share and your feedback is more than welcome.