The hungry internet

“…but the fact remains that despite ecological claims for the virtual economy, the digital era may be no less energy-hungry than the paper-based world of 20 years ago. Part of the reason is the so-called rebound effect…”

This quote is from a recent Guardian article that discusses the carbon footprint of the internet. This article is one of many that demonstrates the need to pay attention to the material resources used or wasted during production, distribution, and consumption of virtual media. Sid Dobrin and I are hoping to engage conversation about material impacts at ASLE’s Ecological Media workshop.