{"id":3810,"date":"2024-06-14T10:54:23","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T09:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/?p=3810"},"modified":"2024-06-24T14:38:52","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T13:38:52","slug":"tips-for-a-digital-clean-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/2024\/06\/14\/tips-for-a-digital-clean-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for a Digital Cleanup"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Blog by Giorgia Ravera (Sustainability Coordinator at University of Manchester Students\u2019 Union) and Maggy Fostier\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2020, the sector of information and communication technologies (ICT) was responsible for between 1.8% and 2.8% of global GHG emissions<\/b>\u00a0(more than aviation (1.9%)) and, if unchecked, the ICT carbon footprint could grow exponentially in coming years, along with water usage to cool the huge data servers (1).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that ICT, high performance computing, machine learning and AI will help us fight climate change and the biodiversity crises<\/b>. For example, the capture and processing of huge data sets can help monitor and predict weather patterns and extreme weather events or improve our agriculture with targeted irrigation or the spotting of diseased crops. Bioinformatics and biomodelling avoid the need for many resource intensive lab experiments. Machine learning will become a key tool for preventative medicine and early diagnosis, saving on the huge impact generated by surgery and hospitalisations. Tele-communications, online collaboration tools and home-based\/wearable e-health monitoring devices also reduce the need to travel (especially air travel).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, like with any other tools, we must now think of ways to design and use our ICT tools more sustainably.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manufacturers<\/b> must design devices following the principles of circular economy and build them to last. For personal devices, the biggest footprint comes from the extraction of precious and finite minerals and metals and the manufacturing -also called embodied carbon (2-3). The technology has progressed dramatically to increase storage capacity, battery capacity and processing powers, so we can now envisage buying a device for the long term and repairing it when needed. This means that manufacturers must think of alternative business models that do not rely on over-consumption. This is a key challenge that business students must address urgently to help the economy transit to sustainability. In the meantime, some companies make the effort to collect our e-waste, reuse and repair what they can, and take apart the rest to select recyclable components. This is what the IT Kit amnesty<\/a> was about.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Users<\/b> must also learn to use ICT responsibly and reduce unnecessary compute tasks and data storage. Some of it is easier than you think and will only take a small amount of your time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Giorgia Ravera<\/b>, who has worked as Sustainability Coordinator at University of Manchester Students\u2019 Union has created two very useful and practical posters to help us.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n