In the past year, many of us have become accustomed to regular video conferences and Zoom calls in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent restrictions.
However, a new study claims the recent shift to remote working, as well as an uplift in at-home streaming, presents significant environmental impact.
Just one hour of video-conferencing or streaming emits between 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide, a study by Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found.
Turning off your camera during calls could, however, save up to three gallons of water and an area of land about the size of an iPad Mini from environmental, the study's authors recommended.
Overall, leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce carbon footprints by 96 per cent, the study – published in the Resources, Conservation & Recycling journal – claimed.
"Without your consent, these platforms are increasing your environmental footprint," said the study's lead author, Kaveh Madani.
"Banking systems tell you the positive environmental impact of going paperless, but no one tells you the benefit of turning off your camera or reducing your streaming quality."
The study also estimated that streaming entertainment content, from the likes of Netflix, in standard definition rather than HD could reduce your carbon footprint by 86 per cent.
The study is the first of its kind to investigate how internet usage affects water and land footprints, as well as carbon emissions.
Banking systems tell you the positive environmental impact of going paperless, but no one tells you the benefit of turning off your camera or reducing your streaming quality
"If you just focus on one type of footprint, you miss out on others that can provide a more holistic look at environmental impact," said Purdue professor Roshanak Nateghi.
The team estimated the carbon, water and land footprints associated with each gigabyte of data used on YouTube, Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and 12 other platforms, as well as in online gaming and general web surfing.
Because of the electricity needed for data processing, apps that relied on video resulted in a higher footprint.
The study also found that results varied by country, as well as by platform, though researchers only gathered publicly available data from 13 countries, including the UK, US, India, Brazil and China.
While the estimates are rough, and rely on data made public, researchers said they hoped the study's findings would make people pay more attention to the consequences of increased internet usage during the pandemic.
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Blonde
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
