Environmental Impacts of Technology
Part of Environmental Issues — GCSE Computer Science
This key facts covers Environmental Impacts of Technology within Environmental Issues for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Environmental Issues in Impacts of Technology for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 2 of 5 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 5
Practice
15 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
Environmental Impacts of Technology
1. Energy Consumption
Problem: Data centres and devices use massive amounts of electricity, contributing to carbon emissions.
- Data centres use up to 3% of global electricity
- Streaming video and cloud services require constant power
- Cryptocurrency mining uses enormous energy
- Always-on devices consume standby power
Solutions:
- Use renewable energy (solar, wind) to power data centres
- More efficient hardware and cooling systems
- Enable sleep modes and power-saving settings
- Optimize software to reduce processing needs
2. E-waste (Electronic Waste)
Problem: Discarded electronics contain toxic materials and valuable resources that are wasted.
- 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated annually
- Contains lead, mercury, cadmium that leak into soil and water
- Only 20% of e-waste is properly recycled
- Short product lifecycles encourage frequent replacement
Solutions:
- Recycling programs to recover valuable materials
- Extend device lifespans through repair and upgrades
- Design products for easier disassembly and recycling
- Right to repair legislation
3. Manufacturing Impact
Problem: Mining rare earth metals and factory production cause environmental damage.
- Mining destroys habitats and pollutes water sources
- Factory emissions contribute to air pollution
- Transportation of components adds to carbon footprint
- Conflict minerals from war zones
Solutions:
- Ethical sourcing of materials
- Use recyclable and sustainable materials
- Local manufacturing to reduce transport
- Circular economy models (reuse, refurbish, recycle)
4. Carbon Footprint
Problem: CO2 emissions from power generation and production contribute to climate change.
- Internet infrastructure produces 3.7% of global CO2 emissions
- Manufacturing a single smartphone produces 85kg of CO2
- Digital activities seem "clean" but require physical infrastructure
- Growth of tech sector increases overall emissions
Solutions:
- Carbon offsetting programs
- Renewable energy for data centres
- Efficient algorithms and compression
- Edge computing to reduce data center load