Steven Fullmer - 2021

The Impact of the Internet

This graphic design project represents the impact of the internet on the climate. Data centers consume a large amount of energy, mostly in the form fossil fuels —such as gas, oil, and coal — to run and keep the servers cool. Additionally, server farms pump large amounts of cooled fresh water through an intricate plumping system built into the data centers to help prevent the servers from overheating. The computer in the middle of the photo is not only connected to internet but also connected to a nasty supply chain of harmful extraction and pollution. These connected resources are essential for running the current web infrastructure until we truly invest into cleaner energy. Not many people realize the impact that each internet search has on the environment. The good news is companies and people who use the internet are waking up to this realization of our own carbon footprint and have turned to cleaner energy to power and store and host online content. Companies, such as Google, run completely on a carbon neural, reusable energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and others to power their green data centers. Companies and people have also adopted careful web optimization that doesn’t use so much storage and bandwidth. By choosing green web hosting services and optimizing our online content, we can make the world a healthier and more environmentally sustainable place to live.