Who knows the cloud?
What do you think of when you think of ‘the cloud’? Companies like to conjure up a dreamy image full of mystery when talking about our data and cloud infrastructure. The naked truth is that there is no such thing as ‘the cloud’. Our cat videos, holiday photos and emails from colleagues are stored in loads of different data centres. The internet is not something that is just up in the air, it’s an enormous series of networks and servers.
The cloud is simply someone else’s computer
And the need to store data is exponentially increasing.
Our external memory usage has also increased with the increase in internet usage. The shoebox in the attic has been exchanged for huge structures of steel and concrete.
Why is it a problem?
One of the biggest issues is the natural resources that the cloud demands from the environment in terms of water, energy and acres of land. Both storing and sending data puts a huge strain on the environment. For instance, did you know that sending 20 emails a day for a year emits the same amount as driving 1,000 kilometres in a petrol car?
On top of their energy consumption data centres have a physical impact on the local environment they are in; for instance, they use an awful lot of water to cool, they radiate heat and noise to the neighbourhood, and we still don't really know how to recycle electronic waste (85% is not recycled).
When you stream, FaceTime or scroll you don’t produce any visible waste and there are no exhaust fumes coming out of your phone. The physical impact that our data use has on our planet is largely invisible to us, and we end up not feeling responsible for the effects of our digital way of life.
‘Data are the pollution problem of the information age’
- Cryptography expert Bruce Schneier
This inspired Niels Schrader and Roel Backaert to show the impact of the digital world on our physical environment. Check out their project Acid Clouds.
Data centers currently use 1-2% of the global energy supply, and will consume 3-4% of the world’s power by 2030.
Let's fix it!
So, where do we store all of our holiday photos and work documents? There are good, manageable solutions here as well.
Switch from Big Tech clouds to open source cloud services
Nextcloud offers fully open source content collaboration software that you can set up on your servers on-site or use the cloud of Nextcloud. Waag Futurelab has fully transitioned to Nextcloud, and so can you!
Avoid unwanted cloud connections
Use your mobile phone browser, instead of an app, to access applications, or pick apps that work offline. Most apps constantly send your data to the clouds of other companies.
Check what cloud connections your app makes and pick alternatives
To avoid apps that make cloud connections, you can scan apps for trackers. You can consult websites like Exodus Privacy to see if your app includes unwanted trackers. The app store F-Droid also scans app code for unwanted app trackers. The less trackers your app has, the less likely you are to send data to a cloud service.
This publication is a part of the Fix Your Phone Shop, which was presented at the Dutch Design Week 2024. You can download the Cloud book here (pdf).
