The Problem

Huge amounts of electricity are needed to run the Internet, or what we call “brown” energy. It is a highly polluting power that is being generated by burning non-renewable resources, like coal and natural gas. The pollution created by the demand for electricity is a major concern; a result of the explosion of Internet use is that the computer industry’s carbon footprint is increasing drastically.

Power plants across the world are working 24/7 to keep up with the demand, whilst pumping out increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This, in turn, has added to global warming. From having a relatively small impact just a few years ago, it is now leapfrogging other sectors like the aviation industry that are more widely known for their negative environmental footprint.

It’s like a downward spiral. The Internet is powered by mostly “brown” electricity which is mainly generated from burning fossil fuels. The process of burning produces a lot of CO2, and decreases the amount of fossil fuels available for the future. This leads to global warming and a shortage of fossil fuels.

Greenscroll believes it’s time to start putting something back in to balance and together we can reverse this downward spiral.