Eco-friendly JoMo and ITJD

It’s no secret that here at ITJD we value security and privacy above all. The internet is a wild place, and we do our part to make it a safer space for everyone – but what about our planet? Doesn’t it deserve the same care, thought and consideration that we put into our security?

Let’s talk about that.

Internet Sustainability

The benefits that the internet provides us with are immeasurable, that is without question. Pretty much everything nowadays relies on it, and it has become an essential part of our daily lives. Such a large-scale reliance on something does bring with it it’s fair share of issues though. Just like the electricity you use to keep your devices running, the gas you use to heat up your home, and the fuel to run your car, the internet leaves it’s own footprint on the environment.

We know this by tracking emissions from everything internet related – from infrastructure, to individual devices. Even the electricity necessary to keep servers online and data streaming across the world. According to a study by the European Commission, the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) sector alone amounts to over 2% of global greenhouse emissions – roughly 0.8 GtCO₂e (that’s Gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent).

That’s double the yearly emissions of the UK, and the same yearly emissions as Germany.

This Doesn’t Go Unnoticed

When put into perspective, the numbers are hard to miss, aren’t they? There are many suggested measures to help mitigate the impact our industry has had on the environment; new technologies are constantly being researched and developed to secure our future. Many big companies, such as Mozilla and Microsoft, have pledged to reduce their carbon print and become carbon neutral, maybe even carbon negative. In an interview with InfoQ environmental Scientist Cathleen Berger tells:

There tends to be a focus on energy requirements and how to improve the efficiency of servers, data centers, and products in terms of how much power they require. While this is important and has slowed down the increase of emissions associated with the sector, it does not account for its impact on scarce resources, like available land, water, or rare earths materials, and it also doesn’t address concerns around recycling or disposal.

Cathleen Berger – OOP 2021 Keynote

She then further adds:

The good news is that while the scale of the challenge may seem absolutely overwhelming, digital technologies provide that same scale to solutions.

We’ll need change on all levels and aspects of our life and work — which also means everyone is in a position to drive positive change, just start by reflecting on your usual workflow. People are often surprised at what comes up, when they allow themselves to question what’s “always been done that way.”

Cathleen Berger – OOP 2021 Keynote

A Greener ITJD

So what about ITJD? Well, I’m glad I asked for you! Our pledge, to you and the planet is to:

• Have a fully off-grid server centre within 3 years.
• All power generated via wind/solar energy with enough capacity to cover the nighttime, and those long winter days.
• Any excess power will be sold back to the grid.

What this means is that very soon you’ll be able to enjoy JoMo, and all other ITJD products, without having to worry about our impact on the environment. With the added peace of mind that you’re doing your bit for the planet.

What Can You Do?

The idea that we, as individuals, have the daunting responsibility to personally fix climate change has been around for as long as the subject has been a thing. One could lead the most moderate of lifestyles and it wouldn’t seem to make a difference. But that’s just not how we as a people work. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the highly-social species that invented the internet to work as a collective towards this goal? It’s true that every little bit counts – when everyone does their little bit.

There’s plenty we can do as individuals for the greater collective. Perhaps some digital spring cleaning, getting rid of old and unnecessary data stored in the cloud. Or maybe cut down on the number of devices connected to the internet at one time.

Regardless of what you choose to do, you can rest easy knowing that very soon we at ITJD will be doing our bit. And by supporting us, so will you.