Technology has the potential to transform the world — but we need to use it intelligently and responsibly to ensure we’re solving problems and not making them.
Here we explore the negative and positive impacts of technology on the environment and learn from Catalin Stancel, ddroidd’s co-founder and CEO, how our A+++ framework is making a difference for a better, more energy-efficient future.
Technology advancements underpin global growth across every sector. However, while technology has its advantages, the harsh reality is that it’s harming the environment.
1. Mineral intensive manufacturing
Non-renewable resources like gold, iron, copper and barium are commonly used in tech manufacturing. All of these materials need to be mined, which can be a costly nightmare for the environment.
Plastic is also commonly found in devices. While extremely useful, plastic is derived from fossil fuels and involves high-emission production techniques. These techniques can also directly contaminate renewable materials like water and forests, making it enemy number one for environmentalists.
2. E-Waste
The entire lifecycle of technology is problematic for the environment — the last stage being disposal. Globally, we generated 54 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019, and this figure is set to increase by 30% by 2030.
3. Energy-intensive data banks
Servers and data banks that power technology use vast amounts of energy each year — this is especially relevant since cryptocurrency entered the mainstream. In June 2021, Bitcoin’s annualised footprint in electricity consumption peaked and is now higher than the power consumption of Finland.
Hyperscale data centres have also doubled their energy consumption since 2015, highlighting the importance of finding energy-efficient approaches to software development.
On the flip side of the coin, technology is also behind the most innovative solutions tackling climate change and environmental issues.
From trash to treasure
There are over five trillion pieces of plastic littering the ocean. Ocean Clean-up brought together engineers, researchers and scientists to create a modern solution for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: long floating barriers that enable the currents to passively catch and concentrate the plastic. They then transformed the waste collected from this area into sunglasses.
Keeping the world “on” during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the entire world. Among the countless challenges we faced, the world shutting down led to astounding improvements in air and water quality. While more and more businesses turned to remote working, a decrease in commuting saw less smog and more animals claiming back their natural habitats.
The world was only able to shut down thanks to connectivity advancements. 5G will continue this trend, and workers will be able to work from anywhere with optimal internet connectivity (and minimal commuting).
Repurposing plastic waste
The majority of plastic doesn’t get recycled. But researchers are using technology to come up with an array of solutions to help reduce plastic waste. For example, some innovators are melting down plastic to create roads while others are making containers from renewable materials like seaweed.
Everyone has a part to play in securing a more sustainable future. Catalin explains how ddroidd is achieving energy-efficient software with a brand-new framework:
“Businesses often overlook their online footprint when tackling environmental issues. But inefficient code and processes increases their carbon footprint and can also lead to a poor performing website — that’s why we came up with the A+++ framework."
“Data is an invisible resource with serious environmental implications. When a user visits a website, content like images and videos are requested from external servers. When you click a link, the information is served and then discarded again. These constant data requests translate into 1.76g of CO2 for every web page view. An A+++ efficient application reduces data processing to cut energy consumption and emissions.”
The Importance of A+++
Existing software development practices are a world away from “green” computing, as there are no measures in place to determine how environmentally friendly code is. That’s where ddroidd’s A+++ framework comes in. According to Catalin: “A+++ provides a much-needed benchmark for businesses to work towards. And it’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for business.” This innovative approach to software development can:
Reduce processing: The A+++ framework can cut reprocessing by 90% by recycling and reusing previously processed information, cutting down on the need for extensive resource demands.
Lower hosting costs: With smarter code and smarter set-up of your hosting architecture, you can create energy-efficient software while reducing your hosting costs.
Boost performance: Legacy architecture isn’t only bad for the environment, it could also be slowing down your application, frustrating users and driving away business. Achieving A+++ efficiency will guarantee better performance and a more secure application.
The road to A+++ efficiency starts with ddroidd’s digital health check. By analysing how efficient your existing application is, we can create a roadmap highlighting optimisations and efficiencies to drive a better performing and more environmentally friendly application.
“If everyone aimed for A+++ efficient applications, we could transform the software development landscape to create a healthier future for everyone.”
Experience A+++ Efficiency with ddroidd
We’re passionate, we’re dedicated, we’re experts in what we do. We are ddroidd.
Discover how our team of experts can optimise your application with our A+++ framework to achieve high-performing and energy-efficient software.
Catalin Stancel is the co-founder and CEO of ddroidd.
