The Internet is the largest thing that humanity has built. Every text message, video stream, Facebook post, Google search, GPS search, online purchase (every online activity) engages an international network of cell sites and data storage centers that consume huge amounts of greenhouse gas emitting electricity. Manufacturing every tablet, “smart” phone, “smart,” “energy-saving” Internet-of-Things-connected refrigerator and “zero emissions” vehicle starts with extraction of natural resources including coal, copper, quartz, coltan, cobalt, lithium, petroleum coke and fracked natural gas. Every device, appliance and infrastructure part depends on refineries, CO₂-emitting power plants, nuclear plants, chemical plants, steel mills, metal smelters, slow-burning wood chips (for smelters) and factories of all kinds. Each energy-guzzling, toxic-waste and greenhouse-gas emitting operation depends on all of the others. They inter-connect by a network of power lines, natural gas pipe lines, cargo ships, airplanes, trains, trucks, shipping lanes, airports, railways, highways, telecom access networks and data storage centers to form one gigantic global super-factory. Becoming aware of these inconvenient truths is a personal experience. Decreasing our footprint requires collective action.

Join the campaign to reduce our Internet footprint.

Katie Singer speaks about the Internet’s footprint at RealTruthTalks.com