How can you mitigate carbon footprint as a developer
Every action we take online has an environmental impact, it takes significant energy to run applications and transmit data.
A piece of code might run billion times in its life cycle, and the effects will be felt as long the code exists. Even if an application is made just slightly more energy efficient, the savings can be amplified many times.
We as software engineers can make small changes to make a big difference in a lot of ways which will not only help in mitigating carbon footprint but also result in shorter load time and electrical energy savings
Every day businesses and customers are welcoming and opting to go green and to keep up with the requirement I have some actionable steps that we can follow to contribute to the greener picture
Emails
Millions of emails are sent and received on a daily basis, all of which produce CO2. Imagine the amount of savings a small change in the way we use emails are lead to.
- Deleting unwanted, old emails and declutter your mailbox regularly
- Eventually ensure any junk does not get stored in your email folders. Unsubscribe to newsletters that you no longer read and are just lying in your mailbox
- Use a single document link instead of email attachments for content that will be shared and downloaded multiple times
- Use other messaging tools for small bits of information like Slack rather than emails
Browsing
- Rethink the way you browse by choosing greener alternatives to Google search engine — Ecosia, Lilo, DuckDuckGo
- Close the tabs when not in use, because the tabs will still be connected to the server and use significant energy
- Delete old media from social media if you don’t need them, they are just lying there and taking up space for nothing
- Use bookmark to access frequently used websites rather than searching for it every single time or simply type the address if you remember it
Code
- Developers can start by deleting commented and unused code that comes by default with scaffolding.
- Caching data ensures fewer data calls to reduce the load on your servers and also utilise minimal bandwidth.
- Reconsider programming libraries and opt for lighter alternatives, also avoid installing unnecessary plugins that add bloat to your website
- Rethink your fonts and reduce unwanted animations. WOFF and WOFF2 use higher compression methods compared to TTF for example
- Replace oversized images with optimal file format(eg. SVG, WebP) and compress them using a tool to reduce their weight. You can use tools like TinyPNG, TinyJPG, SvgHero, and ShortPixel.
- Using CDNs and servers that are local to your consumers. This will reduce traffic on telecom networks, which will considerably reduce the energy consumption used by their infra-structure.
Devices
- If you use OS or apps that supports Dark Mode, then consider switching the theme to use darker colours. Darker colours are better for the eyes and can save battery and energy on devices
- Change phones and computers less often.
- Unplug router when not in use for a long time.
- Shut down your machine if you are away from it for more than a few hours
- Deleting unused mobile apps and disable mobile notifications if you don’t need them
You can also calculate the carbon footprint of your website here:
https://www.websitecarbon.com/#new-test
