This World Environment Day, make your screen time sustainable!
When we think of climate change and global warming, we imagine smokestacks, plastic pollution, and gas-guzzling cars. But there's a hidden culprit silently adding to carbon footprint count — online video streaming.
With millions across the nation glued to streaming platforms daily, we rarely think: “Is my streaming habit harming the planet?”
This World Environment Day, let’s hit the “pause” button on our habits and explore how to stream guilt-free.
Let's begin with a surprising fact: Streaming a 30-minute show in HD emits around 1.6 kg of CO₂. That's almost equivalent to driving a petrol car for 6 kilometers!
How? Let's understand! Every time you stream a video, there's huge data centers working behind the scenes for storing, processing, and delivering content to your device. These centers consume enormous amounts of electricity, and if that power comes from fossil fuels, the environment gets impacted.
India is predicted to have more than 1.5 billion internet users by 2040. With easily accessible OTT platforms and mobile-first consumption skyrocketing, our collective digital carbon footprint is increasing rapidly.
If only 1 crore Indians reduce their streaming by just 1 hour a week, it could save over 16,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ per year — equivalent to planting more than 7 lakh trees!
Want to keep watching your favourite shows without harming the environment? Follow these steps to make streaming sustainable:
Switch from 4K to HD or even SD, especially on your smartphone screens. The higher the resolution, the more data (and energy) used.
Streaming on mobile networks uses more energy per gigabyte than Wi-Fi. So, prefer home broadband wherever possible.
Downloading your content beforehand and watching it offline avoids repeated data transfers — an efficient way to reduce emissions.
Some streaming services have pledged to use renewable energy in their data centers. Support those platforms investing in green tech.
Smart TVs, consoles, and streaming boxes consume power even in standby mode. Turn them off when not in use.
Instead of multiple screens in one household, share the experience of co-watching. Less screen generates less power.
Nowadays, multiple paid platforms are available to offset your personal emissions. It’s a small cost for a greener tomorrow.
India has an opportunity to lead the way in ensuring digital sustainability. As consumers, we can push this transformation click by click, stream by stream.
Watch what you love, but love nature too! You don’t have to cancel your subscription plan or miss the latest season of your favourite show. But you can make small and meaningful changes to reduce your carbon footprint.
