LookFar Labs28 September 2021
Why the Future of Software Is Green
Many view the fight against climate change as the defining issue of our time, and the urgency is growing each day. Temperatures continue to rise, taking a severe toll across the planet. Climate change is effectively fueling strong storms and hurricanes, helping them gain strength in shorter amounts of time. We recently saw this with the impact of Hurricane Ida, which strengthened so quickly the City of New Orleans could not issue a mandatory evacuation because there was not enough time to do so. Beyond storms, climate change is also impacting the world’s ability to produce food due to droughts and flooding. However, there are some steps we can take to lessen the impact of climate change. From diet to travel and even technology use, our choices can make a difference. Learn how environmentally friendly software changes can help reduce CO2 emissions, paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.
The Need for Environmentally Friendly Software
Over the last several decades it has become increasingly clear that our dependence on fossil fuels has contributed to climate change. It is estimated that the fossil fuels burned to meet the U.S.’ energy needs accounted for 74% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 92% of total U.S. human-caused CO2 emissions as recently as 2019. These alarming numbers have inspired many to do their part to reduce emissions. This includes professionals in software.
For example, Greenspector has produced the Mobile Efficiency Index online tool to assess how much energy a website consumes on a mobile device. It offers a way to measure the energy consumed by a site as well as the amount of battery life it drains from mobile devices. Sites that have a high impact on battery life translate to users needing to recharge their devices more often. Ultimately, this increases the amount of energy they use. With this information, battery usage issues can be addressed through the implementation of more efficient software. In turn, this can save energy and prevent users from avoiding a site due to high battery drain.
Energy Efficiency in Apps
When it comes to building apps, certain choices can lessen the overall environmental impact. Making a conscious choice to reduce the amount of information that an app shares with a server is one way to increase energy efficiency. Minimizing the size of assets, such as images and video, can help to reduce the energy used to transfer data. An added benefit of this is that it enables content to load more quickly for the user. Similarly, location services can have a big impact on battery life and are best used only when necessary. So, there are many environmentally friendly choices available when building software. And they can often provide an improved experience for users.
The Time for Climate Conscious Software Is Now
We all understand what’s at stake in the fight against climate change. And making better choices now can lead to a better tomorrow. If your organization could benefit from a new app or website with environmentally friendly software and features, we are ready to help. Reach out to us at 504-315-3150 or connect with us online to get started. Let’s work together toward a more sustainable future.
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