Opinion | Dixon: The environmental cost of hyper-connectivity
We have all heard the stories told by those older than us of how “back in their day” things were different. And when I think back to a time, far from my lifetime, I see a cleaner way of life; writing letters on paper which will biodegrade in less than a year and not having access to nearly as many unnecessary items. At least that is what I thought.
Within the early United States, the postal mail system was not only a form of communication, but also the largest driver of infrastructure and improvements in technology. Aeronautical technologies, ZIP codes, roads and railways are all byproducts of the postal system. This infrastructure causes a lot of pollution and continues anthropogenic climate change. Smartphones are also damaging Earth’s ecosystems. Omar Tantawi and Inez Hua, professors at Purdue University, conducted a study that examined the negative environmental impacts of smartphones. They found that the environmental impacts of this communicatory device are exponentially increasing. This cycle will cause many environmental issues in the future if no regulations are put in place.
Furthermore, faculty and students at a university in China completed a study that quantifies the negative environmental impacts of both in-store and online shopping. The researchers found, “total carbon emissions per consumer increased by 29% for online shopping when shopping trip length to physical stores is under 2km but decreases by … 50% when it extends to … 40km.” This highlights how depending on the distance of the physical store to the consumer, the environmental impact of consumerism changes. Therefore it is crucial to advocate for regulations surrounding these methods of consumerism.
Without proper restrictions and boundaries for the current means by which humans communicate and consume, there will be an increase in the environmental consequences of these systems.
Jamison Dixon
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