Firstly, the main source of electrical power energizing digital data and internet comes from fossil fuels. And the burning of fossil fuels causes an emission of greenhouse gas. The amount of digital data and internet traffic are key factors accelerating global warming as the data transmission uses basic infrastructure (data center and network) and electronic devices which are energy-intensive.  It is estimated that the annual demand for high electricity usage would be up to 55% of total global electricity consumption and data traffic has increased more than 25%.

Secondly, when digital data and internet are functioning, they generate considerably high heat.  As such, the infrastructure is kept under controlled temperature environment, either with air-conditioning system or relocating data centers to the North pole region or under the sea.  Eventually, the heat generated by the infrastructure and those electronic devices is absorbed by the atmosphere and the surrounding areas.

Lastly, the microwave used for transmitting data wirelessly is one of the factors accelerating global warming.  It is considered as an adulteration that human invented.  As the usage is increased significantly, it is accumulated and disturbs the global climate to change extremely. 

In this article, it explains what we can do to slow down the climate crisis by managing digital data effectively.

According to previous article “Does streaming video accelerate global warming?”, the group of researchers from the Shift Project reveals that video represents 80% of global digital data in 2018.  It means that only 20% of other digital data consists of the usage of websites and other data.  Therefore, the excessive use of digital technology mainly comes from digitalized video. In addition, higher quality of video, for instance, “8K” inevitably consumes higher electricity (while it is still in discussion of its necessity whether lower quality video is literally sufficient).  

Interestingly, among all kind of streaming video, we found that they consist of 34% of VoD (Video On Demand), 27% of pornography, 21% of Tubes, and 18% for others, respectively.  Therefore, it leads to a challenging question whether it is worth using such streaming videos that consume limited fossil fuels and create greenhouse gas emission. So how can we reduce streaming video usage (or even stop using it!) for a sustainable use of digital technology for the true benefit of mankind?

A systemic principle suggested by The Shift Project to help deal with this problem is “Digital Sobriety” adoption (creating/buying less-powerful machines, replace them less frequently and not using energy-intensive approaches where possible), which requires a framework of discipline and regulation for appropriate use of digital technology in the settings of limited natural resources and to reduce environmental impact.  The essential tool to be used is the system design that is in line with the sustainable usage of digital data.

You may have noticed the online videos in various social-media platforms that they come with the function of auto-play and embedded videos.  This function is called “addictive design”.  The design aims at maximum contents to be presented to consumers.  The design is one of important steps to determine the form of usage and how it affects the environment (this principle is usually overlooked in the design process).  Therefore, the usage of online videos depends on not only the consumers’ behavior but also the system design of providers.  The effective reduction of digital technology usage would require a mechanism in creating considerate usage.  Adopting only one solution may not be adequate to expedite “digital sobriety” successfully amid worsening global climate crisis…

As a digital provider of online-video in particular, the considerate design choice of digital service is recommended, such as choosing video’s resolution that is suitable for the purpose of usage and is friendly to environment.  Choosing a live-broadcast via conventional TV signal is less affected to environment than via video streaming worldwide.

As an individual, the thoughtful use of online-video means if there is a need for the use of online-videos, one would choose to use it with minimum resolution, and to avoid downloading them to the cloud as the online backup takes place immediately which, again, consumes electrical energy.  Unless needed, it should not be kept in the cloud too long.  They should be deleted, or backed up offline if the video is important.  When using online-video, one should avoid the internet connection via “mobile data” as it consumes more electricity to boost the signal-loss than that of “WiFi” or “Fiber Optic” broadband.  The energy usage for mobile data is less effective.

At a collaborative level ranging from consumers, providers, governments, private sectors, NGO both domestically and internationally, the establishment of organization to set out clear guidelines and regulations for managing digital data is recommended.  It may be necessary to open for public hearing and debates on concerning issues: prioritization, pros and cons of digital technology usage for sustainability and deceleration of global warming crisis.

In my view, the Shift Project’s proposal looks interesting.  If its proposal becomes practical, it would help reduce the impact of global warming significantly.  The challenging problem is the urgency of global warming and limited available time to get solutions implemented in time.  This requires cooperations from different parties, and the acceptance of problems, its importance, guidelines and measures, and differences in cultures and social values.  In addition, it requires times, determination, and patience to success.

Individually, I strongly believe that the correct and sustainable solution begins with our own “consciousness”.  If we give and share right knowledge and understanding on how important and urgent the global warming crisis is, our smallest contribution of society would become great drive force to effective and sustainable solutions.  This means we realize for what purpose we use online-video, and how we want to use them so that our use will have minimum impact to the earth.

Originally posted on KBO Earth FB on 30-Sep-2019 and 10-Oct-2019. 

This edition is a consolidation of two posts and is made on 3-Sep-2022 by Peeraphong Chearanai.

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About Khun Peeraphong Chearanai (Author)

He is a computer scientist and former Global Business IT analyst managing data reporting across platforms for Board of Director in multinational oil company for more than 20 years.  He is interested in MI, BI, Big Data, Science, Technology, Environmental issues and Philosophy.

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SAVE THE CLIMATE

Together with KBO EARTH

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“Reduce” internet usage

“Remove” useless digital data

“Reduce” usage of plastics and electricity

“Increase” green life-style, plant trees and forestry

“4-Hour of No WiFi” no internet usage every Sunday from 6:00 – 10:00

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Internet and Social Media Usage Impacts on Mind and Global Warming

Steve Job – the inventor of Apple iPhone and iPad – limited his children from the use of technology.

“Every night, Steve insisted on dining at the big kitchen table, talking about books, history and a variety of other things.  Nobody ever took out iPad or computer.  The kids did not addict to the devices.”

What he knew of is what we are just starting to figure out.

KBO Earth is an organization that raises awareness on the impact of the internet and the Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) to Global Warming and the world’s temperature.  Most importantly, KBO Earth reveals a surprising fact that smart phones and the internet addiction would damage our health and that of our children.

During the worldwide lockdowns, global internet traffic surged by nearly 40% with its traffic doubling by 2022.  Parents worked from home while children studied online.  Even the elderly increased their time spent online as a result of staying at home and physical distancing.

The COVID-19 pandemic was initially thought to be extremely dangerous, a fear driven by media, big pharmaceutical companies.  WHO and CDC recommended people to lockdown themselves at home worldwide.

As a result, many businesses were forced to close and some went bankruptcy.  People lost their jobs, livelihood and regular life-routine.  The world turned to the internet causing a massive surge in the usage.

After two years many governments finally declared COVID-19 as an endemic, meaning that COVID-19, like seasonal flu, was here to stay and the world would need to learn to live with it.  The term “New Normal” was coined by governments to describe changes after the pandemic.  One of them has a great emphasis on the connectivity to the internet.

The world developed the habit of staying at home: spending most of our life connect to society via the Internet using smart phones, computers and other devices.  While parents are working from home, their children study online at home too.  However, after the class ends, children opt to continue to use their computers and internet causing a new phenomenon called “Social Media and Game Addiction”.

Like robots, mankind seems to get connected to the internet full time.  Facebooks Metaverse promises to connect us permanently on a virtual world as avatars to work and socialize.  Elon Musk promises to connect the world directly to our brains through a neural network, eliminating the need for devices like smartphones. 

What happened during lockdowns?

We’ve often heard parents’ complaints of the new generation that their children do nothing but engross themselves in front of the screen, isolate themselves from the real world, pay no attention and interest in playing or learning of their surroundings. Their attentive learning become short.  Consequently, their social skills and etiquette become poor.  They develop high degree of self-center and own privacy.

The KBO Earth is aware of this issue and anticipate that this problem could become national existential threat requiring to be addressed urgently.  As such, a new project called “The Mental and Brain Impact on Children due to the Abuse of Digital Data” was launched by KBO Earth.  The project aims at studying the cause and effect of the misuse of internet in children.

The plan is to educate parents about the impacts of social media addiction and internet on their children’s mental well-being, organs (brain and nervous system), and behavior, and to give recommendation of how to avoid damage from ever increasing EMF.

The Project – First Step

KBO Earth working group comprising of several experts such as General Doctor Boonlert Jantarapas – a medical specialist in human brain, and Dr. Kanokros Phalakornkul – KBO Earth Academic Lead, visited Panyaprateep School at Pak Chong District, Nakorn Ratchasima on 24 June 2022. 

Panya Prateep School was established by a group of people in the community of Thawsi School, led by Mrs Tosee Sawadi-Chuto, whose aims was to promote the study based on “Buddhist Path of Life” principle from kindergarten, elementary to secondary levels, in the form of boarding school.  The school aims at developing youths holistically.

It focuses not only academic and vocational skills so that the youths can live their live with right occupations, but also emphasis on improving lives of each individual in the community: students, teachers, and parents (or guardians) in accordance with the Buddhist Tri-Sikkhā (Threefold Learning) principle: behavior (Silā), mind (Samādhi), and wisdom (paññā). 

It is recognized that the holistic development has been inadequately emphasized compared to academic and vocational development.  As a result, there have been increasingly social, economic and environmental problems from past to present and will impact the future. 

The school is administered under Panyaprateep Foundation, having Phra Ajahn Jayasaro as chief advisor to the foundation and school.  He is determined in studying, practicing, and dispersing Dhamma of Lord Buddha, and follows the footsteps of his teacher: Luan Pu Cha Suphattho – well respected noble monk domestically and internationally.  

Panyaprateep School is one of the few schools adopting strict rules on the use of smartphones and social media.  The teaching principles of the school are completely different from other private and government schools in Thailand.

 Upon arriving Panyaprateep School, Dr. Witit Rachatatanan – the school’s director, explained the curriculum and teaching concept.  Then KBO Earth was given an opportunity to talk with students directly and ask questions.

How did they feel about being strict at school and limiting time on using their mobile phone?

When you go back home and meeting your friends from other schools, who use their mobile phones all the time. What difference do you see in their behavior?

The answers were as expected. Panyaprateep students felt that they were typically more interested in learning or having interesting things to learn or discuss with others, and were not as interested in using their smartphones all the time like their friends.

The KBO Earth team has seen the quality of students’ minds being trained different from other students where they can use smartphone without limits.

They appeared much more active, were engaged in the conversation, and stayed more focused than those students from other schools.  This is the outcome of holistic development based on the Buddhist Threefold Learning principle.

Students were informed of KBO Earth’s campaigns on Global Warming due to the use of the internet.

They were asked “Do you know that the use of social media is one of the causes of global warming and of many health issues including cancer, depression and suicide?”  The question raised interest among students.

As part of its campaign, KBO Earth looks forward to engaging teachers, parents and students on this topic in full going forward.

Next Steps

KBO Earth will continue on this project to study, collate data, and experiment as necessary so that we can bring out useful outcome to the public for their awareness of the threats to our next generation.  You may follow KBO Earth from different platforms on social media.

It is already known that the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus has caused chaos to the world in all aspects, economic, social, politics including people’s way of life. I have already described the direct economic impact in the article, “Corona Virus: A Nightmare of the World Economy?” in the column Bangkhunprom Chuan Kid, on Thairath Newspaper dated on February 24, 2020, since the situation outside China is not severe and the infection rate has slowed down.

However, I quietly accepted that the spread of the virus is more serious, faster and widely spread than previously estimated. Therefore, it must be encouraged once again to all frontline health personnel including public and private sector officials around the world who are trying to treat this enormous impact. I hope that this nightmare will end with the corporation of everyone in social distancing, especially staying at home to stop spreading and getting infected. And to benefit directly from the government remedies during difficult times. As well as the success of the invention of treatment methods and vaccines against viruses as soon as possible.

But don’t you just lose hope because every crisis has occurred and it will naturally be abolished, this pandemic too is the same. The next important question is when this crisis will come to an end and how will this world change? Now, please be invited to look ahead and think about each other in various aspects, with additional requests, especially on the issues of two important global warming at the end of this Extended Version article as follows.

1.The deglobalization will be more concentrated and will change the global supply chain dramatically: during the past two years, before this crisis, we have clearly seen already that many countries using inward-looking policy or protectionism. Especially, from the trade war erupted by President Donald Trump of the United States that encouraged American companies to return to domestic production and discourage foreign trade. This issue becomes even more apparent with the COVID-19 crisis that underscores the belief of the right-wingers and those who do not support globalization that being too dependent on an international production system is dangerous which will speed up the transformation process of the existing global supply chain. That is, countries will increasingly rely on their own supply chains and diversify production and sales risks without relying on just one country. Clearly because of the effects from the production process or the market when the product is closed down as a result of measures such as closing the city or the country to prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, the governments of different countries may turn this crisis into an “opportunity” to think carefully that the country’s economic policy will go in any direction, by trying to diversify economic risks by not relying too much on any income, such as not only exports or tourism but relying on consumption and investment in the country as an important mechanism as well.

2. Framework issues, particularly in public health will be resolved to be more thorough and more equitable: the COVID-19 crisis put pressure on many governments to turn their attention to public health fundamentals and not let the market mechanism manage as it used to be. Especially, in the United States which the public health system does not have a universal health insurance system. This crisis suggests that whether a person can access public health services shouldn’t be an individual matter. Because one person who really is actually the carrier of the disease, but cannot go for virus checkup service because he/she cannot pay for the checkup even though he want to go and still live the normally, causing the spread of the virus to others without knowing it until finally controlling the disease in general is difficult. And is one of the reasons that makes the United States faced with pandemic crisis worse than other developed countries, as is currently seen in the number of people infected in the United States that rapidly surpassed Italy. So after going through this crisis we may be able to see the increasing role of the state welfare system in each country.

3. Society will step into the full digital system to keep up with changing consumer behaviors: every crisis leaves a legacy. Back in the days of the SARS outbreak in 2002, it made a major turning point. The use of online technology such as e-commerce in China has become very popular among people, in particular, Alibaba and JD.com because people avoid being infected from public spaces and turning to buy more products online. This crisis will leave traces as well, reinforcing the traditional and department stores to leap forward in order to seize the market from online commerce, including many types of digital technology that has been around for a long time but has not been used by many people. This crisis forced people to turn to these technologies seriously, and create more opportunities for more players in the market. For example, platforms that allows remote communication, hold meetings or events in which consumers are familiar with and permanently change their behavior to technology. In addition, even educational institutes have to use online teaching methods to replace all during critical which may completely change the world education system after the crisis. And last but not least, people may be afraid of using cash or bank notes because paper can be germs carrier. Even after the COVID-19 crisis has passed and will become accustomed to strict sanitation, to the day-to-day life with safety in mind. With these factors, electronic payment systems are becoming increasingly popular.

4. Solving the “Global Warming Crisis” problem may reduce in the post-crisis period: when the COVID-19 crisis is over, economic recovery will be one of the government top priority in each country. The decision to rehabilitate depends on the policy of each country because investing in long-term infrastructure can be made in parallel with sustainable environmental conversation such as in renewable energy, environmentally friendly public transportation etc. The scary part is policies of some countries especially United States under the direction of President Donald Trump (and will continue to lead if elected back later this year), which has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will move forward with economic recovery? I expected that President Trump to continue to revitalize the manufacturing industry to its fullest and will accelerate production without paying attention to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at all. Aggravated by governments in many countries that may focus on the use of clean energy as well. Because in the past oil price dropped a lot from the oil price war, especially between Saudi Arabia and Russia. And looking ahead, oil price will remain low, partly from the contracted world demand causing no incentive for countries to turn to clean and higher price energy instead.

5. The COVID-19 crisis does not help the global warming crisis improve in the long run as many people understand: most recently (April 5, 2020), the director of UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) has explained that COVID-129 should not be seen as “environmentally beneficial” by decreasing economic activities in the past. Whether the air quality is improved or reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is only temporary. Do not forget that this pandemic has caused the amount of medical waste and hazardous waste to increase. And if we do not change production and consumption behavior to be more environmentally friendly, the global warming crisis will certainly continue and intensify. The most important point that I would like to remind all readers, which is rarely mentioned that while we all have to do social distancing by staying or working at home during the COVID-19 crisis, we conjoin to increase heat to the world unknowingly: using the internet and digital data unknowingly. Especially, pampering oneself with entertainment, bring about the need to produce a lot of electrical energy and increasing the microwave frequency to transfer digital data between each other. From my point of view, it is seen that when society is stepping into the full digital era as described above, everyone should be aware of the other side of the coin, internet and the innovation that come with it too. I have not said that you should stop using it at all. Because it’s useful but saying that “Every time you use, should be using with awareness of its benefits and dangers. And should be used as necessary.” Because humans tend to have the habit of saying “did not see the coffin, not shed the tears,” often having to face the danger directly to themselves first then realize that “Oh well, I should have done it long time ago.” … Do not wait to blame for the dangers of global warming caused by our own hands without knowing it. I believe that if we are not working together today the danger of the global warming crisis will come to us without delay. Likewise, with the COVID-19 crisis, but this time it is coming quietly, severed and extremely protracted!

** This article is purely personal opinion.  It doesn’t necessarily reflect the organization’s opinions under which I’m working. **

Nowadays, we may send and receive almost a hundred of emails each day, read and text messages with lots of people through chat portals, upload photos to cloud storage or Facebook, watch viral video clips to keep up-to-date from social media, and watch movie series, live sport events or live new release of famous artist’s album through Streaming technology.  These are just examples of online activities of people living in the digital world.  From individual perspective, we may think – “it’s just an upload of a few photos” or “It’s only a few minutes of entertaining video.”.

However, if we consider the whole system that supports these activities, however, the massive amount of internet traffic of digital data has greatly affected the world environment.  It is worsening Global Warming.

Many may not believe in the latest update that Digital technology has released up to 4% Greenhouse gas, already ahead of global aviation industry which has released about 2.5% of total GHG.  It is estimated that there will be 9% increasing demand annually of power supply for ICT industry whereby the proportion of power consumption from ITC usage is 10% more than that of its production!

Computer peripherals, tablets or smartphones, internet infrastructure/telecommunication, as well as data centers require electricity to function.  The source of energy for producing electricity comes mainly from fossil fuel which is the main contributor of carbon dioxide increment in the atmosphere.  The wasted energy from excessive activities is a hidden cost under exciting, fast, and enticing technology that almost no one has ever thought about its flipside.

IT experts have predicted that in 2020 the size of digital data will be as huge as 40-50 zettabytes and about 80% of them will be Unstructured Data, i.e. photos, sound, and video clips.  In other words, by 2020 the size of digital data will be 40 times larger than that of current size or more than observable stars in the universe!

This article focuses on the usage of streaming video, a type of digital format whose size being generated bigger than that of other formats.  It is intended for readers to recognize and realize the impact to Global Warming from viewing streaming videos.  It is the topic hardly anybody talks about.

If you recall the good old days, movie depicted stories though a film of motion pictures and sounds.  The picture was not so clear nor sharp, and the sounds was not so fantastic.  Today, various high definition and resolution of movie are available for viewers to choose from, subject to viewers’ preference.  Especially viewing movie or events on-demand through streaming video would be so attractive to viewers that they easily addicted to follow, for example, watching continuously favorite series of one season containing 10 episodes in one day.   This has caused an ‘addictive’ behavior to consumers in which the internet service providers are aware of this point quite well…

Cisco, a big IT Company, has forecasted that by 2020, about 60% of the world population will have an access to online internet.  The use of online videos will be as much as 80% of all digital data traffic.  Recently, the Shift Project – a French think-tank NGO focusing on limiting the impact of Climate Change and reducing dependency of fossil fuels energy in the Economic system – has released a report from the case study of online video’s usage.  The points worth highlighting are as follows:

60% out of 80% of videos on the internet mentioned above is online video (remaining 20% is other video). They are kept on data centers’ servers.  They are accessed remotely via the website of streaming video service providers.The video in itself is a data media with very condensed data. A 10-hour high definition video consists of more data than English Wikipedia in a text format!  As such, high-definition video is packed with very condensed data and it also requires much of energy in transmitting video data to the destination too.In 2018, viewing online video emitted more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to Spain’s Greenhouse Gas emission as the whole country (or is 20% of total emission in the digital technology industry).VoD (Video on Demand), accounting for 34% of online video traffic, emitted the Greenhouse Gas of more than 100 million tons per year. It is nearly the amount of the emission in Chile as a whole. Pornographic video, accounting for 27% of online video traffic, emitted the Greenhouse Gas of more than 80 million tons. It’s nearly the amount of household Greenhouse Gas emission in France.

At this point, you would think that the demand for online video usage is rapidly increasing due to the growth of streaming video business.  In the meantime, the world has limited resources and facing climate crisis as a time bomb.  The solution of renewable energy to substitute that of fossil fuel seems promising.  This means every country must change to renewable energy swiftly altogether.  However, in reality, it seems impossible to make this happen in a short period of time while the crisis of world climate is going on.  It seems viable solution left is the attempt to reduce the usage of streaming video.  This would lead to the question that whether or not it may be necessary for us to reduce the usage of streaming video in order the help heal the world from Global Warming!

This is not an opposing question against streaming video where its usefulness such as documentary and online courses is still important, and not the campaigning question to stop using streaming video completely.  The key point is that how important we give to limited world resources.  They are used excessively on activities less needed in our lives.  Do we choose to remain status quo, not feel responsible and let the world ‘decay’ before us, despite knowing that our activities are poisoning the world?

Don’t underestimate yourself, the world’s future is in everyone’s hands.

Peeraphong Chearanai

(Khun Peeraphong Chearanai, a computer scientist, is a former Business IT expert specialized in design and implement Management Information system for multinational petroleum company for over 20 years.  He is interested in MI, BI, Big Data, Science, Technology, Environment, and Philosophy)

Sources:[1] Eric Bassier,”Global Warming of Data”, DataCenterKnowledge, 18 May 2016. [Online].Available: https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/…/18/global-warming-data[2] Learn Center, “Data Never Sleeps 7.0”. DOMO. 2019. [Online].Available: https://www.domo.com/learn/data-never-sleeps-7 [4] Maxime Efoui-Hess, “CLIMATE CRISIS: THE UNSUSTAINABLE USE OF ONELINE VIDEO”, The Shift Project, 11 July 2019. [Online].Available: https://theshiftproject.org/…/unsustainable-use-online-vid…/ [4] Jeannette Cwienk (cmk),” Is Netflix bad for the environment? How streaming video contributes to climate change”, DW, 11 July 2019. [Online].Available: https://www.dw.com/…/is-netflix-bad-for-the-envi…/a-49556716

If you have been following KBO earth blog, you would clearly know how serious the situation of global warming crisis at present and how risky it is. Isn’t it time to look back on what we can do more for planet earth besides sorting wastes or planting trees? May I introduce to you on how to start from these 7 easy methods by adjusting a bit of our lifestyle that can really help save this world.

1. Using internet through LAN or WIFI whenever possible

It is because the data amount sent through WIFI uses less than half of the energy comparing to sending through mobile network. Moreover, the quality of data sending is more stable but sometimes we forget to switch to WIFI once at home or at work and continue to use from mobile data recklessly since each network provides users with unlimited promotion that some people even cancel WIFI network from home!

2. Switching off mobile phone when not in use

Many of you choose to turn on mobile phone all the time even bedtime. This causes inefficient sleep. Since not only the brain get disrupted by the magnetic wave constantly, your mobile also receives stimulation from electrical signal as well. Although mobile phones nowadays will automatically cut the electricity when it is fully charged, the accumulated heat still exists leading to a battery deterioration resulting in more electronic wastes, respectively.

3. Deleting unnecessary applications

Especially free applications that we’ve downloaded when there are promotions, special discounts, or the ones we’ve heard good reviews about as we anticipate to use it some days and that some days never seem to come. Utilizing those applications did not use that much energy regardless of being online or offline. The important part is that it requires us to keep “updating” those applications, some even on a daily basis. Although some updates did not yield significant benefit and only to stimulate us to think about and use those apps, opening apps generates their revenue.

4. Reducing unnecessary chats

An effective way to communicate yet also the most energy saving is to use basic function from telephone for conversations. In communicating with large number of people via email should be minimized to a certain group needed and avoid using Reply-all in order to reduce unnecessary recipients causing disturbances. For chats via WhatsApp or LINE on common words such as “Thank you”, “Got it”, “OK”, or “LOL”, a British energy company called OVO initiated “Think Before You Thank” campaign urging adults in the UK to send one less thank you email which could save up to 16,433 tons of carbon a year.

5. Unsubscribing to unwanted emails

We approximately received about 2,850 unopened emails per year from registering for services both online and offline, of which most of them we will automatically delete by only glancing at sender’s name. Wouldn’t it be better to spend a little more time to select “unsubscribe” button so there’ll be no more rubbish emails to irritate you? This would benefit us for not wasting our time to delete them daily. It also saves mailbox space, reduce the use of internet, and even help decrease the amount of carbon emission up to 28.5 kg. per person.

6. Using alternative search engines

We are very much familiar with Google where our data will be collected in Big Data but still, we don’t seem to care. There are other alternatives such as Ecosia which looks more simpler and is doing a tree planting campaign with every 45 of your searches a tree will be planted. While Microsoft, which owns Bing search engine, has claimed that they are to become carbon negative by 2030 meaning the more usage, the better for the earth. Although the efforts are still underway, know knows if they can do as they’ve advertised. So, let’s give it a try.

7. Changing mobile only when necessary

The report from Greenpeace let us know how much energy were used to process one mobile phone. The research of Edinburgh University has found that if we extend the use of the same mobile phone for longer from the average of 4 years to 6 years, we can reduce carbon emission as much as 190 kg.

Let’s start now… we can help the world and our children today before it’s too late!

Source: “Why your internet habits are not as clean as you think”, bbc.com

Article By Rachata Wongkarnwanich

Translation By Napassakorn Oveerawong

The outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted the world in many aspects, especially the economy. Most people, on the other hand, have said it helps solve global warming problem, as seen from the improvement of air quality due to pausing of business activities. I can still remember the Naza’s satellite picture of China showing a tremendously decline in pollution within a month due to the lock down and the closing of factories, causing the decrease of contamination by implication. Therefore, an important question followed – “Does COVID-19 help heal global warming”? Today, I’m going to reveal the truth you may not ever know.

1. The climate gets better only in short period from the lockdown, but COVID-19 doesn’t help solve the global warming in the long run, especially the rising of plastic waste. In April 2020, Executive Director of UNEP claimed that COVID-19 should not be perceived as environmental benefits. The shrinking of economic activities seemed to improve air quality and reduce GHG, but this is only temporary. Do not forget that this global pandemic is piling up mountains of medical disposals, dangerous wastes, and plastic wastes, particularly from single-use packaging. If we won’t change production and consumption behaviors to be more environmental friendly, the climate change crisis will still exist, and surely be more intense in the future.

2. Solutions to global warming may reduce its importance during economic recovery after the pandemic, and may worsen global warming crisis. When the COVID-19 outbreak has passed, economic recovery will become the first priority based on each country’s policy. However, a long-term investment on infrastructure can substantially be done in line with sustainably preserving the environment; for instance, by investing in renewable energy, or supporting eco-friendly public transportation. The policy of each country is needed to be closely monitored, especially the US’s under the presidency of Donald Trump (which will extend if he wins the election the end of this year). The US had already retreated from the Paris Agreement in aiming for GHG reduction worldwide, what direction it takes on an economic recovery? I expect that Trump will fully recover the manufacturing industry without concerning GHG emissions. More than that, the governments of other countries may pay less attention to support clean energy, as oil price has been cheaper due to the price war. The oil price tends to be low because of shrinking demand, in a way, resulting that other countries are less motivated to use clean energy that is much more expensive.

3. The increase of internet traffic and digital data volume, particularly in the cloud during stay-at-home period, accelerates global warming in the long term, especially with an enormous usage of electrical power. The use of internet and digital data carelessly on, such as, video streaming and online games, brings about the overwhelming usage of electricity. All too often this issue is overlooked. In my perspective, when our society is going to be a fully digital world, we should realize another side of the internet and its innovation. It is true that the internet and digital data bring huge benefits and is necessary to our life, but I would like you to think that “Every time we use it, we should aware of its benefit and danger, and use it sufficiently and as necessary”.

To conclude, if we don’t cooperate in changing our behaviors to be more environmental friendly starting from today, the impact of climate change crisis will surely come to us unexpectedly just like the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurs in silence, dragging on, and severely affects us all.

“This article is based on personal perception, it is not necessary to be in accordance with the opinion of institute the author is under.”

Article By Suparit Suwanik

Translation : Chortip Oveerawong

“I don’t want you to hope. I want you to panic…..

I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.” Greta Thunberg

This is the voice from a 17-years-old who is begging us to take care of global warming crisis. Her life has just begun but there is not much fresh air for her to breath. Meanwhile, most people’s eyes and ears have been covered, living their normal lives and enjoying all entertainments without realizing that their lives are on the edge of an abyss. If the world temperature increases just only by 1.5 degree Celsius, our lives can never return back to normal. No, never again.

Below are the five signs to help you wake up from your pleasures and join forces to seriously deal with problems from the global warming crisis.

1. COVID-19 pandemic crisis does not solve the global warming crisis, instead, it is creating new problems. As we started seeing positive impacts on the environment, it doesn’t mean our climate crisis has been solved. On the other hand, it comes with accumulated plastic waste crisis, medical waste, and trash including during the economic recovery period after COVID-19. Each country is heavily stimulating the consumption and investment, it may be good if the investment is substantially well invested and at the same time being environmental- friendly. But methods that most countries will choose, rely on old technology in increasing productivity that is not friendly to our environment. Tourism promotional campaigns that don’t pay attention to the environmental preservation will be increased, so this will not help reduce the carbon footprint instead it will be higher than before the pandemic of COVID-19. The graph below is reflecting different crisis in the past – World War II, economic crisis, or any outbreaks, the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) climb up slowly within a short period. Moreover, even though everybody on earth helps reduce GHG, but CO2 that already exists in atmosphere will still affect the incremental of the world temperature for more than 10 years until our ecosystem is back to normal. (Picture from BBC)

2. Trend on greenhouse gas emission in 21th century will continue to increase. If we can’t change our normal behaviors, the world temperature will, on average, jump to 4.1-4.8 degrees Celsius in 2100. Though we may not be living to know how hot it will be, little Gretha and our great grandchildren will surely experience it. Even if the world is acting in accordance with the Paris Agreement, the temperature will still climb up at least 2.8-3.6 degrees Celsius, it is still far away from the target of 1.5 degree Celsius. Besides, we knew that the powerful country like the USA already have withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on Jun 1st, 2017. It had darkened our hope to reach temperature of 1.5 degree Celsius. (Picture from BBC)

3. Number of deaths rising from the climate disaster. From the study in 2018, it is estimated that in 2100, population near the equator will have the death toll raises due to hot temperature especially in the Middle East and Africa where it is already hot (though in the cold countries, its death toll will decrease because the temperature there would not be cold anymore). The change still affects the economic and inequality in the society. As the rich flees to find somewhere cold to live, the poor struggles for survival under the heat. (information from Brookings)

4. The jumping ratio in using digital power leads to enormous usage of electrical power. We all know that technology has been developed at a jumping rate. From modem speed of 56K to 5G nowadays, the penetration of internet is in everything we used or Internet of Things, IoT. As a result, the digital servers, servers, and bandwidth need to be expanded to support the services especially the Data Center. Due to the increased ratio of power usage from digital activity from 2.5% in 2013 to 4% in 2020 and is estimated to 8% in 2025. (Information from The Shift Project 2019)

5. Failure in reducing the carbon footprint in production line. There is not a single IT gadgets producer who can well manage the carbon footprint, not even major producers like Apple, Samsung, or Microsoft. This production resulted in an environmental effect of up to 80% per one piece of an IT gadget. Especially Chinese producers focusing on producing cheap prices and neglecting the use of clean energy. Moreover, these gadgets are so tiny that they can’t be recycled. But it seems, all management pays more attention in demonstrating new yearly innovation instead of the improvement of the production line to be more sustainable and environmental-friendly. (information from Greenpeace).

Though, there are many environmental organizations including KBO Earth that are trying to send warning signals to people on earth to be aware and awakened to global warming crisis. But human is often reckless.

An easy example could be seen from the government of each country which has paid least interest to spend the country’s budget on unprecedented preventive disasters especially global warming, an issue prioritized at the bottom. In the USA, it is estimated that it would take more than 15 years to arrange budget of 5.7 billion dollar in revolutionizing the country to use clean energy, comparing with the last 3 months that the US has set aside budget of more than 6 billion dollar in fighting COVID-19 to temporarily sustain the US economy (it does not include huge amount of money for later economic recovery). If a natural disaster caused from global warming crisis does really come, which may be even more disastrous than COVID-19 pandemic how much more will the government lose their budget? Wouldn’t it be better to be preventive?

For us at an individual level, COVID-19 crisis has proven how difficult it is to live under a circumstance where our fresh air is not safe to breathe. We always have to be equipped. If the world temperature is spiking so high that we can’t do any outdoor activities, how much more difficult than in COVID-19 crisis life would be? How can we live?

Are we waiting for more of the calamities? Or are we fighting back to change something like little Gretha has done before everything is too late. It is yours to decide.

Article By Rachata Wongkarnwanich

Translation By Chortip Oveerawong

On August 13, 2019 KBO Earth, led by Lieutenant Pitak Tiranakul, Dr. Kanokros Phalakornkul and the team visited Dr. Asmol Limsakun, Director of Climate Change Group at Environmental Research and Training Center on the occasion of introducing and seeking partnership to the organization as well as soliciting suggestions for the research. One interesting point is that greenhouse gas emissions appear to have an effect on the climate. One of the reasons is due to the urbanization and many human activities that generate greenhouse gases altogether. And every 1°C of the global temperature rise is caused by human activities in various forms in modern cities can as well be up to 0.3°C.

Including the occurrence of the extreme temperature phenomena; extreme heat, very long interval periods of drought, the less number of storms which have hit Thailand (the storm will bring rain) but the strength of the storm is closer to a typhoon. Including when it rains heavily but only for a moment resulting in drought but likely to flood. These are some parts of climate change that also affect agricultural products and the living of everyone.

In the end, Dr. Asmol Limsakul concluded that “Global warming can occur both from nature and humans. The solution must be resolved in both parts at the same time. That is changing human habits to having less activities and behaviors that are destructive to nature and down to not destroying at all. This includes a campaign to promote trees planting, as well as, supporting the innovations that are intensively beneficial to the environment.”

SAVE THE CLIMATE WITH US KBO EARTH !

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“Reduce” internet usage

“Delete” useless digital data

“Reduce” the use of plastic and electricity

“Increase” Green Life, Planting Trees, Reforestation

4 HOURS OF NO WI-FI. Stop using the internet every Sunday morning between 06.00 – 10.00 AM.

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Today (September 18, 2019), KBO Earth team led by Lieutenant Pitak Tiranakul, joined the 123rd anniversary event of The Royal Forest Department. More importantly, KBO Earth has received a certificate in “Restoring and Developing Forestry Resources”. This is our very proud award but what we are proud of is that KBO Earth has been a part of creating green area for Thailand. Besides, the main campaign of KBO Earth which is to educate and create awareness about the dangers from digital innovations, what we need to do at the same time is afforestation because KBO Earth realizes well that trees are the only natural machines which give back the natural balance to this Earth. KBO Earth would like to thank The Royal Forest Department which led by Mr. Attapol Charoenchansa, Director General, Mr. Chatree Raksapan, Director of Administration Division, Mr. Naris Ardthanthakorn, Director of Reforestation Promotion Division, Forest Resource Management Office 10 (Ratchaburi), Mr. Suchat Buabang, professional forestry officer, head of Ror Bor. 3 unit (Puyang) and head of forest protection and development unit Paktor, Mrs Daranee Sitho, head of seedlings nursery center in Nakorn Ratchasrima province and also a core team member of KBO Earth. Moreover, KBO Earth would also like to thank all members and supporters who have joined forces physically and mentally in these activities making our first afforestation a well success.

SAVE THE CLIMATE WITH US KBO EARTH !

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“Reduce” internet usage

“Delete” useless digital data

“Reduce” the use of plastic and electricity

“Increase” Green Life, Planting Trees, Reforestation

4 HOURS OF NO WI-FI. Stop using the internet every Sunday morning between 06.00 – 10.00 AM.

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If anyone has followed the global warming problem from the beginning, they will know how urgent and serious it is.  Global warming has become a priority issue in major international conferences including the top summits such as G7, ASEAN, AFTA, UN Annual Conferences and the European Union, including the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) which previously has been focused on economic issues. Now everyone’s admitted that no one could live well, or could definitely be happy if the house is on fire…

In a few months, there will be the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 25). This meeting, held for 2 weeks in early December annually, is the most important and largest global warming meeting in the world. The experts in various fields, scientists, thousands of academics, agencies and organizations about environment will come together to discuss problems and find solutions together with the important goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (focus mainly on carbon dioxide) and control the increase in global temperature not to exceed the level before the Industrial Revolution.

As a matter of fact, despite so many meetings, signs of failure had frequently been seen. By 2009, a report from the Australian Academy of Sciences called “The Critical Importance of Less Than 350 PPM CO₂,” which describes the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should not exceed the amount which can be roughly converted to an increase in global temperature, no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, in order to maintain the earth’s balance, especially, the marine balance as the sea is the biggest heat absorber at the moment.

The report also predicted that if everyone still lives without awareness of the environment and society, carbon dioxide will definitely reach 450 ppm during the year 2030-2040. However, last year, the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on  Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that the average global temperature has already been increased approximately 1 degree Celsius and is very likely to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius before year 2030.

How that is possible? Did the environmental measures, green economy or consumer behavior alteration policies over the past 10 years, not help at all? Hundreds of scientific information obviously shows in which direction the world is heading toward.  Even every meeting has set goals that are scientifically supported. Then what’s happening?

The final answer is with the leaders and government policy of each country.  Everything depends on the consciousness and awareness of the leaders and policy makers.

The most obvious example is the US President, Donald Trump, who doesn’t believe global warming is caused by human and sees that global warming is just a kind of substance that causes the pollution. That is one of the reasons why he’s withdrawn from the Paris agreement. On June1, was the second anniversary that Trump has withdrawn from the agreement. (The Paris agreement is an agreement signed by President Barack Obama in Paris, France in 2015, aiming for countries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  Currently, 197 countries have signed it and 184 countries ratified the agreement.) Fortunately, the withdrawal announcement will not take effect immediately.  That is because there is an agreement stating that the associate country must wait 3 years before requesting the withdrawal and the cancellation will be in effect 1 year afterwards. Within those periods combined, Trump may have ended his term.  (And if he loses the second election, the world might be saved from this leader just in time.)

That is an example of policy destruction.  A more concrete and most tangible evidence of a catastrophic disaster is the Amazon Forest Fire. The Amazon Forest is considered “the lungs of the world”, the rainforests with the most biodiversity in the world, a source of many important medicines such as antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.  As well as being one of the main ecological systems in the world that controls rainwater and carbon dioxide cycles.  As a result, it plays a key role in controlling the global climate system. The forest fire caused by mobile plantation, yet the Brazilian government has ignored it.  According to data from the National Space Research Institute of Brazil, there have been more than 80,000 forest fires, an increase of 80 percent from this time of year with the prediction that the fires would spread even more because it was entering the dry season.

The government has turned a blind eye on the issue because there is enormous amount of money from the cattle farming and soybean farming industries to be obtained from their exports not including the land beneath this forest which is abundant in oil waiting to be drilled.  All of this happened because the current Brazilian government has a policy of emphasizing economic progress without thinking about sustainability so the measures to tighten and punish forest encroachers have been relaxed.  Ministers in the related ministries gave interviews in support of the forest concessions with the accusation that the indigenous tribes living in the Amazon are hindering the country’s progression.

Last July, the head of the agency responsible for satellite images was fired since the president was not pleased that satellite images show enormous destruction of forests have been released which is destroying the image of the government.

No one knows the outcome of the UNFCCC meeting which will be held later this year.  Although all parties are aware of the dangers that creep slowly and understand the future of the world, how many parties are willing to give up or reduce the benefits of their country, in order to give billions of people across the world a chance to escape from this crisis?  Even if the leader of the country is willing to give up, but in practice it is difficult because he must pay attention to the criticisms of those who disagree which sometimes is their base of power and the lobbying companies that are often the biggest donors of the party.

In the end, human nature always wins because most people make decisions based on the most obvious reasons. But the effects of global warming are gradual. Thus, it is common that we can sit and tolerate being slowly grilled in a burning house without feeling anything at all …

(Articles by Uamdao Noikorn)

SAVE THE CLIMATE

Stop global warming with KBO EARTH

——————————–

“Reduce” internet usage

“Delete” useless digital data

“Reduce” the use of plastic and electricity

“Increase” Green Life, Planting Trees, Reforestation

4 HOURS OF NO WI-FI. Stop using the internet every Sunday morning between 06.00 – 10.00 AM.

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