It's well cited (though I still need to check those citations) & uses maths effectively to make it's point.
That computers + (surveillance) capitalism is actually worse for the environment than the predigital era. That we can and must move slow and fix things, and fund that vital work directly.
@oranger2020 Maybe it depends on what we consider significant. One of the most expensive activities we regularly do online is a Google, etc search which according to this book amounts to 1080joules, akin to leaving a 60watt lightbulb on for 17s.
@alcinnz
"Computing is environmentally cheap (...)"
Computers are not though unfortunately, their production is an often overlooked massive energy expense that often exceeds the running energy consumption of their entire lifespan.
There is probably a better way to deal with this through repair and reuse, but either way computers are highly environmentally problematic even before they got to compute anything. :/
@brokenix Devs tend to be where I focus on my advocacy, though its been a longstanding to topple the status quo with better software!
I do believe there's overproduction of hardware, but that's driven by poor software. And hardware could make things easier on software, but thats a different issue...
@balslev I'd say the biggest gains come from moving away from cars, but since that seems unachievable to many...
I'm not against using AI & computing where it makes sense. Yet the current rush of "generative" AI is anything but mindful! (wrote top-posts before that)
That said the distinction between traditional & generative AI is a fuzzy one...
Love the thought Amber shared about mining landfills.
One tiny optimization I do in my day-to-day is watch videos in a lower quality
(though, I wouldn't consider "watching videos" optimal).
In general, when we want to make a change, it's essential to measure change. Is anyone aware of any projects around measuring energy usage?
(I Imagine it's pretty involved: installing/monitoring electricity meters, internet service usage, etc)
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