In our modern society, gigabytes are worth as much as, if not more than, gasoline; countless daily activities, from streaming Netflix to scrolling through social media to attending work meetings to filing your taxes, are powered by and consume data. Our increased reliance on data has led us to demand more points of access to it, and that is where cloud data centers come into play. During Energy Saving Week (Oct. 17-23), find out if cloud data centers can help us better care for our environment while still keeping our data just a click or tap away.
What Is ‘the Cloud’?
Unfortunately, “the cloud” doesn’t refer to an actual cloud full of data. While sci-fi buffs might dream of roaming weather systems made up of ones and zeroes, the cloud refers to the way data is stored in our modern age. Data storage has shifted from stacks of hard drives in a basement to a much more interconnected array of data centers and remote storage methods. These storage centers and methods are accessed via an internet connection, and since they can be accessed remotely from wherever the user resides, they’re colloquially referred to as “the cloud” or cloud storage.
How Much Energy Does the Cloud Use?
By its nature, the cloud has moved the infrastructure needs away from individual users and businesses and into concentrated data centers. Since nearly the entire world’s internet traffic flows through data centers, and that hardware uses electricity, these data centers are massive power sinks. In 2018, cloud data centers accounted for approximately 205 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity — 1% of the total electricity used around the world and more than that used by some countries, such as Thailand and Sweden.
Some estimates claim that the global energy use of data centers has doubled since 2010, which is a concerning statistic. Despite the massive increase in demand for data centers, data center energy use probably rose less than 10 percent between 2010 and 2018.
How the Cloud Benefits the Environment
With IT devices evolving, cloud computing has become remarkably efficient. The increased efficiency of servers and hard drives means cloud data centers, much like home solar panels and systems, become less expensive to build and operate since these devices make up large portions of a cloud data center.
Additionally, the concentration of computing equipment at the core of a cloud data center means these facilities have adopted top-of-the-line cooling systems; overheated hardware fails, and failed hardware can’t help anyone access their data.
How the Cloud Harms the Environment
Unfortunately, energy use results in carbon emissions. While accurate data regarding the total carbon emissions of data centers worldwide doesn’t yet exist, some estimates suggest that data centers are responsible for 4.4 kg of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Since 205 TWh is equivalent to 205 billion kWh, total global carbon dioxide emissions for data centers can be estimated at 902 billion kg of carbon dioxide — as much as the aviation industry.
E-Waste and Why It Matters
The metals and materials that go into manufacturing IT equipment have to be disposed of in specific, safe ways. This electronic waste, or e-waste, isn’t biodegradable and can be toxic. Improper disposal of this e-waste leads to materials like mercury, lead, and arsenic seeping into the environment, which can cause illnesses like cancer.
In addition, incorrectly disposing of e-waste leads to scarce materials and precious metals going to waste. Metals like cobalt are used in things like smartphones, electric cars, and laptops — devices many consider essential to their everyday lives. Proper disposal of e-waste leads to the recovery of as much of these raw materials as possible, and these recycled metals are up to 10 times more energy efficient than metals processed from raw, mined ore.
The State of the Cloud
As cloud computing evolves to serve our ever-changing needs as a global, internet-using culture, some experts theorize that the increased energy demands of advanced applications like AI will eventually eclipse the heightened efficiency of computing hardware. Unfortunately, scarce data regarding the energy demands and environmental impacts of cloud data centers makes it difficult to tell for certain what, if any, lasting effects they may have on our planet.
As humanity pushes further into the Information Age, our data needs will evolve. It’s humanity’s responsibility to mitigate our impact on our natural environment, and if we wish to continue to have a planet to live on, we have to treat it with the same care and reverence that we treat the data that flows at the center of our modern, digital lives.