Back in February 2023, the BBC’s Panaroma did a programme called “Is the Cloud damaging the planet?”  Reporter Richard Bilton investigated the question.

Cloud stores our pictures and emails and it powers our internet searches.  It enables us to stream movies and box sets.  So far, that’s great. 

The problem with digital pollution

The problem is that it depends on huge data centres which use huge amounts of power and water – so every time you and I go online, that increases our carbon footprint.

Then there’s all the emails you don’t need or want, duplicates of photos and videos, files and apps you’ve got but don’t use. Cloud stores them and needs energy to do it.

It all creates a type of pollution called digital pollution, and it consumes energy – even when we don’t think of it or use it.  It just sits there, consuming electricity, forgotten and all too often unnecessary.

And yet, when we think of carbon emissions, we tend to think of things such as farting cows, car journeys, dirty factories, planes in the sky, and all that sort of thing.  How many of us think of digital pollution and the damage it does?

Let's get deleting!

Delete your unnecessary stuff and there are a number of advantages such as, we can extend the life of our gadgets, and we pollute less and help the environment.

Plus, it gives you a feeling of control of your digital stuff.  I’ve just spent a 30 minutes deleting a lot of stuff from my phone – old messages, three pictures taken of the cat because she kept moving her head when only one was any good, photos sent of things I no longer want or need.  And my phone seems to have a new lease of life and burst of energy as a result of it.  I’ve cleared a lot of rubbish to create more space.

A date for your diary!

Now there is an event in March (on the 16^th) which gives you the chance to do your own digital de-tox, or you could make a start whilst waiting for something, or someone.

It’s the Digital Cleanup Day and its on 16^th March 2024.  It’s a really good opportunity to raise awareness of digital pollution – most of us wouldn’t even think of it.  Clean up your data stored in i-Cloud such as files, pictures and videos, your mobile phone, and social media accounts.  And take a look at your email account. Often it’s a good chance to see if you can get better organised with it all, too – which will help with the general organisation and running of life.  Why not have a digital clean up party and see who can delete the most?!

So there are four things to do:

1. Clean up your smartphone
2. Clean up your computer hard drive
3. Clean up your mailbox
4. Make new arrangements and do things in a different way - there are lots of ideas on the website
5. You could share your results - you'll need to register to do that

 Visit Digital Cleanup Day 2024 here.