About the Book

ABOUT Katie Singer

Photo credit: Jonas Skardis

Katie Singer writes about the energy, extractions, toxic waste and greenhouse gases involved in manufacturing and operating computers, telecom infrastructure, electric vehicles and renewables. She spoke about the Internet’s footprint at the United Nations in 2018, and, in 2019, on a panel with the climatologist Dr. James Hansen. Katie believes that if she’s not aware that she’s part of the problem, then she can’t be part of the solution. She dreams that every smartphone user learns about the supply chain of one substance (of 1000+) in a smartphone. Her most recent book is An Electronic Silent Spring. Her work is published at www.OurWeb.tech-letters/, www.ElectronicSilentSpring.com and Wall Street International Magazine– www.WSImag.org.

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High Resolution Photo of Katie Singer

Questions about the Internet’s footprint
for radio and podcast hosts

You’ve written that the Internet is the largest thing that humanity has built–and that its energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, toxic waste and worker hazards are proportionate to it being the largest thing we’ve built.
  1. Could you spell out the Internet’s main energy guzzlers?
  2. What kind of ores do we extract for every computer?
  3. (If there’s time) Could you describe the way silicon is manufactured for transistors?
  4. What happens with e-waste?
  5. If we’re talking about energy use, what’s the difference between wired and mobile tech?
  6. So, how does our digital footprint change with 5G?
  7. What can we do to reduce our digital footprint–starting with this podcast?
  8. Where can we learn more about the Internet’s footprint?

ALSO: Questions about powering our society, including the Internet

Your work explains that our industrial, digitalized society depends on delivery of safe, affordable, reliable power 24/7, 365 days of the year…with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and minimal extractions.
  1. What does it take for a utility to deliver safe, affordable, reliable power with minimal greenhouse gases and extractions?
  2. Are there problems with solar photovoltaic power systems? What kind of extracted ores do they require? Does operating a rooftop solar system cause any ecological damage? What happens to panels at the end of their usable life?
  3. Are there problems with industrial wind power? What kind of extracted ores do they require? Does operating a n industrial wind turbine cause any ecological damage? What happens to the blades at the end of their usable life?
  4. What about dams? Does building or operating a dam cause any ecological damage?
  5. What do you suggest?
  6. Where can we learn more about powering our society?

Contact Katie Singer