ENERGY / CLIMATE

Key Insights: What This Means for Daily Life

Digital Activities Are Not "Free"

Digital systems feel weightless, but every online action relies on data centers powered by electricity, cooled by water, and maintained by massive hardware infrastructure.

• A single Google search uses about 0.3 Wh of electricity and emits 0.2 grams of CO₂.
  
  

• AI image generation (e.g., text-to-image prompts) can consume 3–10 Wh or more per prompt, depending on the model and infrastructure, which is 10–30x more than a search.
  
  

• Data centers consume about 1–2% of total global electricity and are expected to grow rapidly with the rise of AI and streaming.
  
  

Streaming is Surprisingly Intensive

Streaming video is one of the most energy-demanding digital activities:

• 1 hour of HD streaming (1080p) emits about 150–400 g of CO₂, depending on region and infrastructure.
  
  

• Watching in 4K nearly doubles or triples this usage—requiring higher data transfer and more energy from servers and displays - That’s equivalent to charging a smartphone 50 times!
  
  

Transportation Is The Heaviest Emitter

Travel still dwarfs home and digital activities in impact:

• One round-trip transatlantic flight emits 1–2 metric tons (1 to 2 million grams) of CO₂ per passenger—roughly equivalent to a year’s worth of electricity for the average American home.
  
  

• Driving a gasoline car emits about 404 grams of CO₂ per mile; even a modest 5-mile daily commute (10-mile round trip) adds up to over 1,000,000 grams (~2,300 pounds) of CO₂ per year.
  
  

• Public transport, biking, and walking have much lower impacts, especially when used regularly.
  
  

Appliances Quietly Rack Up Costs

Home appliances seem small, but they run constantly or in high-energy bursts:

• Refrigerators use 100–800 kWh per year, depending on age and efficiency.

• Clothes washers use 0.3–2.5 kWh per load, depending on the model and cycle, and require 15–40 gallons (57 - 151 liters) of water, with HE (high-efficiency) models using significantly less.
  
  

• Clothes dryers use 2–4 kWh per cycle—and electric dryers are typically the third-highest energy users in a home.
  
  

• Dishwashers consume 1.5–2 kWh per load, plus water (3–5 gallons).

• Conventional ovens can draw 2000–3000 watts when preheated and baking; using an electric oven for an hour may consume up to 2400 Wh and emit over 1,100 grams of CO₂.

• Microwaves consume about 1000 watts but heat food quickly—running for 10 minutes uses around 167 Wh and emits ~79 grams of CO₂.

• Toasters typically use 800 watts; a 5-minute cycle uses 67 Wh and emits ~32 grams of CO₂.

• Air fryers, which are often more efficient than ovens for small meals, use about 1500 watts—15 minutes equals ~375 Wh and 178 grams CO₂.

• Toaster Ovens use 1200–1800 watts and are also more efficient than full ovens for small meals. A 30-minute session might use 600–900 Wh, emitting 285–430 grams of CO₂.

• Even "off" or "standby" electronics draw a surprising amount of phantom power, adding 5–10% to household electricity bills.
  
  

How to Decrease Your Everyday Carbon and Water Footprint

1. Smarter Digital Use

Lower video resolution
Streaming in 720p instead of 4K can cut energy use by 50–75%, especially on smaller screens where the difference is negligible.

Use smaller, efficient devices
Watching YouTube on a smartphone or tablet uses far less electricity than on a large smart TV, which can draw 50–200 watts while streaming.

Batch your searches and AI prompts
Instead of repeating queries, refine them to be more precise and limit unnecessary server calls.

Download media you watch or listen to whenever possible
Offline media avoids repeated data center requests, saving both bandwidth and electricity on the server side.

2. Household Changes

Switch to LEDs
Replacing old incandescent or halogen bulbs with LEDs cuts energy use by up to 90%, and they last 10–20 times longer.

Use Appliances Efficiently

• Dishwashers & washing machines: Only run full loads; choose eco or cold-water cycles.
  
  

• Air-dry clothes: Saves 1–4 kWh per load.
  
  

• Set fridge temps: Keep between 37–40°F (3–4°C). Colder settings waste energy without improving food safety.

• Try to use the microwave, air fryer, or a toaster oven for small meals— all are more efficient than preheating a full oven.
  
  

Unplug Vampire Devices

Chargers, smart speakers, coffee machines, and game consoles draw power even when "off". Smart power strips or unplugging can save $50–100/year in electricity.

3. Transportation Tweaks

Drive Less, Carpool More
Carpooling with even one person cuts per-person emissions by half. Apps and community boards make this easier than ever.

Use Low-Impact Modes for Short Trips
About 60% of car trips in the U.S. are under 6 miles. Biking or walking for short distances is healthier and vastly more sustainable.

Fly Smarter

• Favor nonstop flights: Most emissions occur during takeoff and landing.
  
  

• Choose airlines with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft.
  
  

• When possible, opt for high-speed trains: Rail travel can emit up to 90% less CO₂ per mile than flying.
  
  

Pressure on Corporations: The Bigger Picture

While individual action matters, systemic change from corporations is essential. The biggest polluters—especially in tech, energy, manufacturing, and transportation—hold outsized influence.

What Companies Should Do

• Data Centers: Transition fully to renewables and improve cooling efficiency through better architecture and AI optimization.
  
  

• Streaming Platforms: Invest in better video compression algorithms (e.g., AV1 codec) and default to HD instead of 4K unless manually chosen.
  
  

• Appliance Manufacturers: Innovate to meet or exceed ENERGY STAR standards and provide transparent lifecycle carbon data.
  
  

• Airlines: Adopt sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), invest in newer aircraft, and support research into electric or hybrid aviation.
  
  

• Car Companies: Scale up electric vehicle (EV) production, but also improve battery recycling, supply chain ethics, and energy efficiency.
  
  

• Social Media & AI Companies: Use green cloud services, reduce energy-intensive autoplay and algorithm loops, and encourage lightweight content formats.

Examples of Progress

• Google and Microsoft claim carbon-neutral operations for data centers, with ambitious goals for 24/7 carbon-free energy.
  
  

• Netflix has pledged net-zero emissions by 2030, aiming to cut emissions from production and streaming.
  
  

• Still, many pledges are voluntary and vague—real accountability depends on public and regulatory pressure.
  
  

How You Can Push for Change

Support Eco-Conscious Companies

Look for brands that disclose their emissions, use renewables, and have verified climate targets (e.g., Science-Based Targets initiative).

Demand Transparency

Push for platforms to publish the carbon, water, and energy footprint of their services—like emissions per video stream or per AI query.

Advocate For Legislation

Support laws that:

• Require environmental disclosures for digital services.
  
  

• Set minimum efficiency standards for electronics.
  
  

• Fund clean transportation and energy infrastructure.
  
  

Use Your Voice

Your choices shape demand. Write reviews, sign petitions, share climate data on social media, and vote for leaders who take environmental science seriously.

Conclusion: Every Click, Stream, and Mile Matters

The environmental impact of everyday actions may seem small in isolation—but collectively, they define our resource use and carbon footprint. Streaming a show, doing laundry, or hopping on a flight may seem unrelated, but they’re all tied to electric grids, fuel supply chains, and freshwater systems that are already under strain.

We don’t need to abandon comfort or technology—but we must be smarter about how we use them. And we must push for greener infrastructure, cleaner energy, and corporate accountability at every level.

Because ultimately, it’s not just about reducing your own footprint—it’s about reshaping the systems that govern it.

Every action, every choice, every demand for change brings us closer to a livable and sustainable future.

AI Usage and Environmental Transparency at My Green Planet

At My Green Planet, we are committed to sustainability—not just in the content we publish, but in how we create and deliver it. This includes being transparent about our use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the environmental impact associated with it.

How We Use AI

• AI Image Generation: All AI-generated images on our website are created using Microsoft Designer, a tool provided by Microsoft, which is a carbon-neutral company.
  
  

  • You can read Microsoft’s official statement on its sustainability efforts here: Reducing AI’s Carbon Footprint.
    
    

• Editing and Formatting: Many of our articles are also edited and formatted with the help of ChatGPT, enabling us to communicate more clearly and efficiently.
  
  

Our Estimated Environmental Impact

We calculated the estimated electricity use, carbon emissions, and water consumption associated with the creation and maintenance of our website content, based on the highest estimated values available:

Per Article

• Electricity: 132 watt-hours (Wh)
  
  

• CO₂ Emissions: 58 grams
  
  

• Water Usage: 18 liters
  
  

Cumulative Site-Wide Impact

• Electricity: ~5,500 Wh
  (Roughly equal to running two loads of laundry)
  
  

• CO₂ Emissions: ~2,400 grams
  (Comparable to driving a gasoline car for about 6 miles)
  
  

• Water Usage: ~740 liters
  (Approximately two standard kiddie pools full of water)
  
  

How We Offset Our Footprint

To ensure that our digital operations remain environmentally responsible, we:

• Use carbon-neutral platforms such as Microsoft Designer for AI image generation and Google Sites for our website services.
  
  

• Offset water and carbon emissions related to our site through:
  
  

  • Personal lifestyle changes (reduced car use, reduced water usage, and energy-efficient living practices).

• • Donations and promotion of donations to nonprofit organizations working in:
    
    

    • Clean energy and climate action
      
      

    • Freshwater conservation
      
      

    • Carbon neutrality and reforestation
      
      

Our Promise

We believe that transparency leads to accountability—and accountability leads to action. That’s why we will continue to monitor, reduce, and disclose our digital environmental impact while advocating for a more sustainable internet and a healthier planet.