Responsible digital
TALK WITH LOUISE VIALARD
When we talk about sustainable development, we systematically think of the impact of transport, energy, the dangers of overproduction, etc., but there is one element that was, until recently, relatively absent from the discussions: digital pollution. Often cited as a solution, its central (and sometimes disproportionate) role in our daily lives gives it a significant, if not major, role in the current ecological, economic and social problems.
To better understand and grasp the issues related to digital technology, we spoke to our friend Louise Vialard, who specialises in the subject.
How did you come to question the impact of digital technology?
I was studying architecture when I became interested in digital infrastructure. I was in an old school in Paris, in the middle of winter, and when there was no heating, I took refuge in the computer room. I wondered where the heat in the room was coming from: the servers. That's when I realised that the digital world and the internet have a materiality. I was very interested in this subject and so I chose to do my degree around the recovery of heat from the internet infrastructure with the aim of heating the city.
I did projects in Paris, then I came to Nantes where I worked with a company that makes digital boilers. We had a project with Nantes Habitat on social housing in the north of the city. The idea was to make mini data centres out of boilers and to install them in a collective boiler room to be able to pre-heat domestic hot water (for showers, washing up etc.). At the same time, this allowed the servers to be cooled automatically. So at the same time we don't spend energy to cool the server and we make energy savings on hot water.
" In terms of the environment, we know that in 2020 digital technology will account for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, which is 50% more than air transport emissions. We also know that what consumes the most on the Internet is streaming video, which represents 60% of bandwidth. "
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We've talked about energy loss in data centres, can you explain in more detail what a data centre is?
Data centres are where all the servers are stored, usually in huge sheds of around 1000 to 2000 m². They account for 25% of the consumption of greenhouse gases emitted by the digital sector.
All the data we use, via any connected device, is stored in these servers. To avoid any risk of loss, each data is replicated on a network of data centres. And, as they have to remain at a certain temperature, they are constantly air-conditioned, hence this energy loss.
Beyond data centres, what is the impact of digital hardware production?
There are 9 billion connected devices in the world, and an electrical device generally requires 50 to 350 times its weight in raw materials. To produce a computer, for example, it is estimated that 800kg of raw materials are required. And given the complexity of recycling, only 3% of the components of electrical appliances are recycled.
In concrete terms, in a computer you can find gold, lithium... many rare metals that enable the production of very high quality materials. These mini quantities are alloyed with each other, welded together, so it takes a lot of resources to break them down and recycle them. It's something that's almost impossible to do.
" Only 3% of the components of electrical appliances are recycled. "
This is why we talk more about reconditioning than recycling. That is to say, if the computer's battery no longer works, the battery should be repaired rather than changing the computer.
We now know that not all electronic products are modular, they are manufactured to be changed fairly quickly, this is called programmed obsolescence. Even if there are laws in France and Europe that regulate this practice, it is still complicated to get the equipment manufacturers to listen to this.
Do you think it is necessary to raise awareness among users?
I think it's quite depressing to feel guilty for contributing to a problem that is much bigger than you. So I'm not necessarily in favour of blaming the users all the time. You have to know what you have in your hands, but ultimately it's not the end user who is going to change the world because they chose to buy a fairphone rather than an iphone. What can change things is how we think about the use of this tool, its design and construction.
"What can change things is how we think upstream about the use of this tool, its design and construction. "
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What is it about today's average person that makes them need a phone that has every conceivable option?
It's a story about the imagination of society and how we conceive of technology, what it can enable in life. When the United States sent men to the Moon for the first time, they used a computer that had, it seems to me, 75 thousand times less RAM than the phones we have in our pockets. Why do we use an iPhone? To send emails, go on apps and social networks...
To put things in context, today we are reaching a technological saturation point and it shows. For example, smartphones have reached a level that they are having trouble getting past. All the improvements we make to them are no longer valid marketing arguments. This explains the drop in sales and the appearance of 5G, which has boosted this market a little. On the other hand, the market for connected devices (connected fridge, connected alarm, etc.) is skyrocketing.
On entend de plus en plus parler du numérique responsable, comment le définirais-tu ?
It is often associated with sustainable digital, that is to say digital that is very much focused on eco-design. Eco-design is the way in which we write the code for a web application or for any digital service. It's the developers behind it who will write how things are done and used in this service.
To take the example of Tinder, this application is going to use all the resources of the phone, its battery, its RAM, etc. The phone is going to have to read the code, and if there are a lot of things to read, it's going to use a lot of energy. So digital responsibility means saying that my code will be light, so that it will be accessible to people who don't have computers or the latest digital equipment.
It's the idea of making digital technology accessible to all audiences, whoever they may be and without forgetting the disabilities or obstacles of each individual.
"When the United States first put men on the moon, they used a computer that had, I think, 75 thousand times less RAM than the phones in our pockets. "
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What can we do to reduce our individual impact?
Cleaning up your mailbox is an effort you have to make, just like sorting your rubbish. Then, it also involves the digital tools that we buy. Prefer reconditioned equipment or have it repaired rather than changed. We know, for example, that if you make your computer last 4 years instead of 2, it improves its environmental balance by 50%.
Be aware of what our actions on the internet can generate in terms of CO2 emissions. Look at your data consumption on the internet, the time spent on certain applications.
Before, there were 1 or 2 GB packages, but we were already using the internet a lot. With my current 40 GB package I realise that I use a lot more data. Before ADSL, we used to take a long time to load a video on a website, now all websites have videos and you don't even notice it anymore, even though a video weighs a lot.
You should think about reducing the size of the photos on your site. It is not necessary to use images of 4 MB, while we know that today 50% of Internet connections are made from a smartphone, so it is not necessary to have a high resolution.
"50% of internet connections are from a smartphone, so there is no need for a high resolution."
During the lockdown, to avoid network saturation, Netflix reduced the quality of its videos and I don't think anyone noticed. A 720p mode for video is already a degraded quality, a video that weighs a lot less, but it is more than enough to watch on your computer or tablet.
There is also Fairphone, a brand of modular phone, with which you can change all the parts: the camera, the battery, etc. You don't interfere with the heart of the phone and you add functionalities according to the evolution of technologies. Their raw materials are sourced from cooperatives that ensure that the work is done in good conditions.
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What are the short-term challenges?
The aim is to raise general awareness: we need to be informed to avoid green washing, because it is not because we are doing Green IT or eco-design that we will really change the design software.
Digital sobriety also means saying to yourself: "Do I need digital technology in this place?" You have to question your consumption, even if the consumer is the end of the line, there are companies and governments to take into account as well.
You also have to know that the internet as we know it, i.e. GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) and the World Wide Web, is only a small part of the internet. There is also the Darknet and other protocols that can be used to use the internet.
The main objective remains to equip all citizens to understand these issues, whether they are economic, political or social. The argument that we often hear for 5G is that it will enable telemedicine, because there are areas where there are no doctors. It is a solution indeed, but isn't the root of the problem that there aren't enough doctors? There is a tendency to want to provide a technical solution to a social problem, when this is not necessarily the best tool. We have to ask ourselves the right questions. If everyone is experienced and able to understand the tool they have in their hands, we will all be better able to ask the right questions.
In conclusion, I would like to point out that in order to respect the Paris agreements, it seems to me that we need to reduce our energy consumption by 5% every year. But digital technology is increasing by 8% every year.
"I would like to point out that in order to respect the Paris agreements, it seems to me that we need to reduce our energy consumption by 5% every year. However, digital technology is increasing by 8% every year. "
