Environmental Impact of Digital Technology (Edexcel IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
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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