How does streaming affect the environment?

Question

I always see posts about how streaming emits CO2 and has a high carbon footprint but I don’t actually understand how that happens.

In: 5

Answer 1

The infrastructure that enables streaming (and basically everything else on the internet) are a bunch of computers that are always running so that they can store and send you the data when you ask for it.

It, of course, takes energy to run these computers. Also, like all computers, they generate a lot of heat as waste. In order to not literally cook the machines, data centers must use a ton of energy on air conditioning.

However, these are *not* a huge source of emissions. Data centers comprise about 2% of all energy used in the US. A single beef patty has the carbon footprint of a bit less than 80 hours of streaming video.