A new study from Purdue University in the US estimates that an hour in video conferencing emits between 150 and 1000 grams of carbon dioxide.
The researchers found that leaving the camera off could help reduce carbon footprint. Streaming video in high definition instead of high definition can result in a 86% reduction.
This is the first study of its kind to observe how internet infrastructure also affects water and land use, not just carbon emissions. The conclusion was quite simple: the more videos included, the higher the environmental impact.
"Banking systems show you the positive environmental impact of not using paper, but no one tells you the benefit of turning off the camera or reducing the quality of the videos," said Kaveh Madani, who led the study. "So without your consent, these platforms are increasing your environmental footprint."
Source: Euronews