Tips to reduce your digital carbon footprint
The Weather Network speaks with Drew Minns of Really Good Work about how we can optimize the performance of our phones, computers, and browsers by applying some energy-saving practices.
Scrolling, tapping, and swiping are the norm for most smart device users. But did you know that every online activity consumes energy?
Drew Minns, founder of Really Good Work, specializes in digital sustainability. Creating efficiently optimized web experiences is not only an initiative to reduce digital carbon footprints but also a one-up for web users.
Gruelling loading time speeds up, and device battery life can last longer with simple adjustments.
“Not everybody has the latest device; not everybody has a fast internet connection, so by actually making it more sustainable, you're able to reach an audience you might not have been able to access before,” Minns says.
Drew Minns is the founder of Really Good Work, a company that specializes in digital sustainability.
We can use some of Really Good Work’s sustainable efforts to maximize energy when we use our own digital tools. Minn's suggests optimizing your images.
“Make sure that they are sized to be how they're going to be displayed," he explains. "For example, a lot of times people will take images directly from their iPhone, which are incredibly high resolution. What you're doing is putting a gigantic, massive image on a page and just shrinking it down while still requiring users to download the image. Which makes the site slow.”
When creating your own website, Minn suggests leveraging built-in computer fonts and avoiding custom fonts. Going with a darker theme can also help reduce your digital footprint.
“A lot of screens actually use more power to effectively light up the pixels that render lighter colours, so if you have a darker background, your site will then use less energy,” he explains.
During your daily social media consumption, consider using “data limit usage” settings on your smartphone, scheduling app downtimes, and turning off automatic app refresh. These tips can help you use less data, save battery life, and promote the reduction of digital carbon footprints.
(Header image courtesy: NicoElNino/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Creative #: 1383854915)
