Publish at October 01 2024 Updated October 01 2024
Especially in fiction, we're fond of depicting a world in black and white, with the good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other. It's a classification that reassures us, allowing us to believe that good will triumph over evil, as in the vast majority of works of fiction. It allows us to imagine that we're on the right side. Except that, if we take a step back, we realize that it doesn't work that way. Our world is one of shades, where grey dominates with different hues, sometimes darker, sometimes paler.
This can be seen in all issues, including climate change. While it seems obvious that ecologically, it's time to act, not everyone agrees on the approach. Several solutions raise ambivalent feelings.
For over a decade now, technologies have been able to probe everything rapidly and in real time. Never before have we had so much data on space, environmental environments, people and so on. This massification of data can be seen everywhere, including in the environment. Massive data is still uncommon in rural environments, and is not used as much as one might think for monitoring wildlife and plant populations. Nevertheless, they do exist, and their uses are multiplying with satellite applications, among others.
Many believe in the potential of this data to help companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, better organize transport, better plan urban development and so on. The manufacturing sector is also keen to use such information to reduce waste and pollution. Having access to so much information would make it easier to create examples of the circular economy.
For their part, other companies are aiming to monitor the planet to detect methane leaks or approximate carbon capture for the world's plants. Even African countries are benefiting from massive information to develop their agriculture.
Artificial intelligence, too, fed by data, is generating a lot of hope among some in the ecological improvement of the planet. Generative AI, for example, would be able to rapidly calculate the effects of a decision by modeling what might happen, and thus help in the planning of various policies. This would enable us to improve the road network for greater fluidity, or detect oil slicks or pollutants in the ground. The aim with data and AI for its proponents is to offer the general public and decision-makers rational and accurate information to act accordingly. Except that this comes at a cost.
If the Internet were a country, it would be the third biggest consumer of electricity after the USA and China. The data centers that accumulate and participate in massive data and artificial intelligence would account for at least 4% of the world's energy consumption. A figure that is only set to rise, given the increasingly frequent use of the Internet by everyone, including objects. The three main pollution factors are energy consumption, the need to cool electronic equipment and the fact that it is constantly in use.
What's more, data centers were initially developed without much thought. Territories allowed them to set up without thinking about their needs, the effects on surrounding communities, local energy consumption and so on. In fact, not allowing industry to go ahead without setting reserves, limitations and the like could be a good way to start reducing the ecological footprint of data centers.
Fortunately, some companies are looking at ways of reducing the environmental impact of data centers. Already, some companies are making or have made the switch to renewable energies, and are also improving their design to facilitate server cooling. The aim is to reduce the power consumption required to keep IT equipment at a suitable temperature.
There are also solutions within the servers themselves. Many perform unnecessary tasks that technicians could deactivate, and the majority of centers are over-equipped, with more equipment in operation than necessary. The introduction of more virtual servers would also be of interest, as these would go into standby mode when not in use, and would not consume as much power. At present, they account for half of a center's servers. This ratio could be increased.
In addition to these changes, we also need to think about how we use our servers. Of course, limiting Internet users' bandwidth doesn't really make sense in a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized. Nevertheless, perhaps we need to reflect on and inform people about periods of high consumption, encourage the reduction of superfluous uses of generative artificial intelligence, and propose digital solutions that pollute less and favor greener servers. All of this seems necessary if we are to continue to enjoy the benefits of technology while reducing our ecological footprint.
Image: Bethany Drouin from Pixabay
References
Achite-Henni, Margaux. "Pollution from data centers: how to reduce it?" Carbo. Last updated: June 4, 2024. https://www.hellocarbo.com/blog/communaute/pollution-des-data-centers-comment-la-reduire/.
Bachmann, Jeanne. "Generative AI in the service of ecology." Theodo Data & AI. Last updated April 3, 2024. https://data-ai.theodo.com/fr/parlons-data/l-ia-generative-au-service-de-l-ecologie.
Becquet, Alexia. "Big data and storage: current impacts and future prospects." Leyton. Last updated March 8, 2024. https://leyton.com/ca/insights/articles/big-data-and-storage-current-impacts-and-future-prospects/.
"Big data can lead to big environmental impacts." Yale School of the Environment. Last updated May 4, 2023. https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/big-data-can-lead-big-environmental-impacts.
Boutaud, Anne-Sophie. "Kayrros, big data at the service of ecological transition." CNRS Le Journal. Last updated: June 15, 2022. https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/nos-blogs/de-la-decouverte-a-linnovation/kayrros-le-big-data-au-service-de-la-transition-ecologique.
Diguet, Cécile. ""Data centers set up totally opportunistically"." La Croix. Last updated: July 8, 2024. https://www.la-croix.com/a-vif/les-data-centers-s-implantent-de-maniere-totalement-opportuniste-20240708.
Gautreau, Pierre. "Big data environnemental." HAL-SHS - Sciences De L'Homme Et De La Société. Last updated: June 15, 2020. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02869207.
"Big data - The tool transforming environmental management." Pollutec. Last updated: January 2, 2024. https://learnandconnect.pollutec.com/le-big-data-loutil-qui-transforme-la-gestion-environnementale/.
"Artificial intelligence, technological benefit or harm for the environment and ecology?" Numalis. Last updated: May 4, 2023. https://numalis.com/publications-108-lintelligence_artificielle_benefice_ou_prejudice_technologique_pour_lenvironnement_et_lecologie_.php.
Norbert, Johanna. "7 companies putting Big Data to work for ecology." LePont. Last updated: March 5, 2024. https://www.lepont-learning.com/fr/entreprises-big-data-et-ecologie/.
Sage, Aurélie. "Big Data and Green IT, is there a paradox?" DidakTic. Last updated September 17, 2019. https://www.didaktic.fr/green-it/big-data-et-green-it-existe-t-il-un-paradoxe/.
Saint-Esprit, Pierre-Emmanuel. "Big data and ecology: how is digital a formidable lever for the circular economy?" Manutan. Last updated: June 7, 2023. https://www.manutan.com/blog/fr/economie-circulaire/le-digital-formidable-levier-pour-leconomie-circulaire.
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