Dec.18: ENVIRONMENT SNIPPETS
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in DCMBR
Online shopping has huge environmental costs
Solid waste generation
E-commerce packaging and the disposal of waste have huge environmental costs. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, e-commerce packaging accounts for 30% of solid waste generated in the US. In India, a large portion of packaging material could end up clogging drains and in landfills, says Down to Earth.
Packaging will also lead to considerable loss of forest cover, as wood pulp remains the main raw material for making cardboard. Also, toxic chemicals are used in the production of packaging materials which are a health hazard. There is need for companies to invest in smaller and more sustainable, environment-friendly packaging.
Loss of forest cover
Climate change could hit Internet
Rising sea levelsÂ
According to a recent study, 6,500 km of fibre-optic cables are likely to be submerged by water by 2033. The study titled Lights Out: Climate Change Risk to Internet Infrastructure was presented at a meeting of Internet researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The study says that underground fibre-optic Internet cables and data centres along the US coast will be submerged due to rising sea levels. Fibre-optic cables and data centres are crucial parts of the physical infrastructure of the Internet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea levels are slated to rise by 0.5 to 1.4 metres by the end of the century.
Blackout likelyÂ
Default temperature of ACs to be set at 24oC
Saving power
The Power Ministry has advised manufacturers of air conditioners to maintain default temperature setting at 24oCelsius. This may be made mandatory at a later stage, according to news reports. A campaign will encourage consumers to adopt environmentally-friendly and responsible lifestyle at their homes and workplaces by setting their air conditioning to 24oC. This is the optimal temperature keeping in mind Indian weather conditions.
 This will ensure reduced power consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions. If an AC’s temperature is set at 19oC degrees and the outside is 38oC degrees, the compressor will have to work harder to reach the desired temperature level leading to higher power consumption, than if the thermostat temperature is set at 24oC.                                   Â
Eco-friendly step
