Aviation has long been blamed for its share of anthropogenic global
warming. Indeed, some travellers now ask themselves whether their
flight is strictly necessary and, if they decide it is, salve their
consciences by paying for the planting of trees. These, so they hope,
will absorb the equivalent of their sinful emissions. But you, dear
reader, are indulging right now in activity that is equally as
polluting as air travel: using a computer.
According to a report published by the Climate Group, a think-tank
based in London, computers, printers, mobile phones and the widgets
that accompany them account for the emission of 830m tonnes of carbon
dioxide around the world in 2007. That is about 2% of the estimated
total of emissions from human activity. And that is the same as the
aviation industry's contribution. According to the report, about a
quarter of the emissions in question are generated by the manufacture
of computers and so forth. The rest come from their use.
<http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=348909&story_id=14297036>Link
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Posted By johannes to
<http://www.monochrom.at/english/2009/08/computing-climate-change-how-much.htm>monochrom
at 8/27/2009 03:16:00 PM
