Between all the lectures, coursework, housework, and nights out, there never seems to be enough time to do everything you want while at university. It's easy for sustainability not to be high on your priority list.
And you know what? That's OK. As the title of Blur's 1993 album states - Modern Life Is Rubbish.
However, sustainable living is crucial for the future of our planet. Maybe you recycle, maybe you buy exclusively secondhand, or maybe you live a plant-based life. These are all positive ways to make a difference, but did you know how damaging technology and the digital space are to the planet?
Here are some sobering facts:
- If the internet were a country, it would be the 3rd largest consumer of electricity and the 4th largest emitter of CO2
- There are 1 billion hours of YouTube watched every day - the CO2 equivalent of driving to the moon 62 times
- The internet pollutes 1.5 times MORE than the aviation industry
- Sending an e-mail attachment of 1MB (this could be a high-res photo, short video, or a handful of Word docs) is the equivalent of lighting a bulb for an hour
- The internet uses 10-15% of the world's ENTIRE electricity consumption, and doubles every 4 years
We know the internet isn't going anywhere, and technology is always moving forward. So what can we do to help, even if it's just a little bit?
Don't worry - we've put together 10 tips on how to live more sustainably at university (without even noticing).
10 easy ways to live more sustainably in the technology age
- Close Tabs
- Unsubscribe
- We're all guilty of signing up for that measly 10% off, new subscriber e-mail from a company you probably won't ever buy from. Unsubscribe, save yourself from boring promo e-mails, and save on data centre storage
- Delete
- Search Green
- Move over, Google - Ecosia is the future of search. 100% of their profits go to producing renewable energy
- Dim it Down
- Screen brightness, that is. Turn down the brightness on your phone and laptop, and turn up the positive impact on the environment
- Go Dark
- Have you tried Dark Mode? Save power (and give your eyes a rest) by switching to Dark Mode
- Don't Doomscroll
- This is generally good advice to follow anyway, but by cutting back on doomscrolling, you're cutting back on your digital usage and saving on the need to charge your phone (using that all-important electricity)
- Power Down
- Not using it? Switch it off. This is great advice anyway for anyone using electronic devices - it's also great for sustainability
- Link Up
- Forget attaching that image to your e-mail - link to it instead, using something like WeTransfer
- Digital Declutter
- Rummage through your Cloud storage and get rid of anything you don't need or want. 27 rejected selfies? A folder of you and your ex? Blurry photos of average meals? Get rid, save space, save the environment!
