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A couple of days back, while attending a green initiative by the
International Indian Film Academy in Gurgaon, evergreen superstar of Bollywood,
Amithabh Bachchan made a startling remark, To go green you should get rid of
the mobile phone that you are using!
And this statement assumes greater significance in todays tech-driven world,
where gadgets are becoming style statements; at times even becoming kind of an
extension of the human body.
Fascination for gadgets is a lifestyle disease, observed a friend
recentlywith our over-dependence on things like mobile phones to the tendency
to have the latest gadget in hand. But how many of us are aware that we are
contributing to the disaster of Mother Earth? It is time to think how dangerous
is this blissful ignorance and the environmental hazards thereof.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, a gallon (around 3.8
litres) of gasoline has 131 MJ of energy and emits 8.8 kg of CO2. Based on this,
if we calculate the energy consumption in the manufacture of a mobile phone, it
would come to 1,390 MJ of energy, while CO2 emissions would be 60 kg, says a
blog post in www.fatknowledge.blogspot.com. Likewise, the production of a
computer and monitor takes 6,400 MJ of energy, or 4.6 times that of a mobile
phone.
According to another report published on www.lowcarboneconomy.com, carbon
emissions from personal gadgets (such as mp3 players) and electronic devices
(including televisions and mobile phones) will rise drastically over the next
twenty years. The report, quoting a study by Frances International Energy
Association says that their energy-use would triple between now and 2030. So,
you understand from where all the bullets pierce the fragile ozone layer!
The IEA pointed out that over half of the worlds population now has a mobile
phone and forecast that the number of PC users will surpass 1 bn in 2009. If we
fail to adopt new policies, the energy consumed by such devices will rise to
1,700 TW hours by 2030, significantly undermining efforts in reducing global
emissions, it warns.
According to the IEA estimates, by 2010, there will be over 3.5 bn mobile
phone subscribers, and 2 bn televisions in use around the world.
It is this awareness about environmental hazard that prompted Ericsson and
the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to partner in encouraging the use of
climate-smart telecom solutions across industries.
According to a recent study by Gartner and WWF, the ICT industry has been
slow to embrace the low-carbon economy, and is missing out on opportunities. The
ICT industry is responsible for approximately 2% of global CO2 emissions.
From Gadgets to Mails
Another interesting aspect is related to the carbon footprints of spam
mails. A McAfee study says that the mere act of people around the world deleting
spam and searching for legitimate email falsely labeled as junk creates the
annual energy consumption equivalent in the US of 2.4 mn homes using
electricity, with the same GHG emissions as 3.1 mn passenger cars using 2 bn
gallons of gasoline.
The average greenhouse gas emission associated with one spam message is 0.3
grams of CO2, about the same as driving three feet in equivalent emissions. When
multiplied by the 62 tn spam emails sent globally, that is like driving around
the earth 1.6 mn times! So just think how green is your inbox.
Even the storage of emails contributes to environmental hazard, warns writer
and environmental activist Sami Grover. Retained data means storage space used;
storage space used means energy consumed; and this means nothing but carbon
emission!
Our drawing room is also not that green either. An average television or
computer running for eight hours per day generates 618 lbs of CO2 annually. And
for a laptop this is 77 lbs.
Dangerously e-Wasting!
The concept of long lasting is a pass for the modern-day man, who is
turning away from the earthly feelings. We have no prick of conscience in
changing the gadgets like soiled clothes! But again we feign ignorance about one
thingour contribution to e-waste. The problem of e-waste management warrants
greater attention. Unlike the organic waste, e-waste doesnt decompose and the
hazards thereof are beyond our imagination.
A major concern is that developing countries are falling victims of this
e-waste threat. According to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), up to 50 mn
tonnes of waste from discarded electronic goods is generated annually, with the
majority being shipped from the west to developing nations.
PC maker, Dell, recently announced its strong stand against e-waste export.
Nokias recycling program is also worth mentioning here.
And, interestingly, though we are all concerned about the R-word that made
the world economy make a nosedive, statistics show a shade of green in the
environmental front. A study from America says that ever since the global
economic meltdown began, energy-related CO2 emissions in the US declined by 2.8%
in 2008. The Energy Information Administration estimates this as the largest
annual drop since the US government began recording the data in 1990.
So, should we say a green cheers to the economic meltdown that saves Mother
Earth from the dangerous global warming?
Sudhakaran/CMN
maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in
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