Environmental Impact of Digital Technology (Edexcel IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
Written by: Robert Hampton
Reviewed by: James Woodhouse
Environmental impact of digital technology
What are the environmental impacts of digital technology?
The environmental impacts of digital technology can be categorised in to four key areas:
Carbon footprint
E-waste
Resource consumption
Energy use
Category | Description |
|---|---|
Carbon footprint |
|
E-waste |
|
Resource consumption |
|
Energy use |
|
Sustainability
Energy use is a big factor in the sustainability issues caused by the use of digital devices
Cause | Issue | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
Digital devices at home and in the office | Power is produced using non-renewable energies |
|
Data centres | Requires extensive cooling which is generated by non-renewable energies |
|
Natural resources | Poisonous substances used in digital devices |
|
Worked Example
Explain one benefit to the environment of buying previously-owned devices
[2]
Answer
Examples could include:
It is more sustainable [1] because fewer precious metals used/required/mined [1]
Reduces/mitigates the impact on the food chain [1] because fewer waste materials leak into the ground/water supply/food chain [1]
The need to mine more is delayed [1] because precious metals are reused [1]
Non-renewable resources like oil are not depleted [1] because less plastic is used [1]
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