Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming emits 150-1,000 grams of CO2 (a gallon of gas from a car emits about 8,887 grams), requires 2-12 liters of water and demands a land area about the size of an iPad Mini. Leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce these footprints by 96%. Streaming content in standard definition rather than high definition while using apps such as Netflix or Hulu could bring an 86% reduction. The internet’s carbon footprint had already been increasing before COVID-19 lockdowns, accounting for about 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. A number of countries have reported at least a 20% increase in internet traffic since 3/2020. If the trend continues through the end of 2021, this increased use alone would require a forest of about 71,600 square miles (twice the land area of Indiana) to sequester the emitted carbon.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm