HOW GOING DIGITAL IS SAVING EARTH?

Our 4 billion years young Earth recently celebrated World Environment Day on the 5th of June and us earthlings had a reason to rejoice. World Environment Day is the United Nation’s flagship initiative that celebrates the importance of preservation of our planet, as well as raises awareness as to how we can save it.

As the era of Internet dawns upon us in the 21st century, we are learning to bid adieu to the much-revered paper. Paper production is made possible by chopping down trees that are crucial for the environment and collectively, act as lungs of the Earth.

Authorities around the world are finally waking up from slumber to lower the usage of paper and related activities that could deteriorate the condition of our environment. Going Digital has been one such great initiative that makes extensive use of modern technology at our disposal.

The Digital revolution brought along by the internet has given a new lease of life to our planet, in more ways than one. Life as we know it is slowly making its way online to be digital and always connected.

The digital trend spread its root when the 21st century was nearing the end of its first decade and the movement has since then picked quite a pace.

From government offices to banks, schools, businesses, and accountants, everyone has joined the ranks to sustain life on earth.

However, most sections of society have ditched record keeping on paper and other such activities and switched to digital options mainly due to the convenience offered by the latter.

Here are a few ways humanity is making strides in the right direction by going digital and saving the earth, and in turn, humanity:

WORK FROM HOME DAYS:

Who does not like to work in pyjamas from the comforts of their lounger at home? Many companies have started an initiative where they let their employees work from home once in a while.

This is called an office telework day when a collective initiative is taken and everyone in a particular company works from home.

This has been made possible due to the wonders of digital connectivity. Video conferencing and online records of all sorts among a slew of other features help save fuel of vehicles that would otherwise get driven to the office.

It also aids in saving the paper as well a day’s worth of electricity, hence releasing some pressure off of the environment.

DIGITAL DOWNLOADS REPLACING CDs AND DVDs:

DVDs and CDs used to constitute a large quantity of dumped garbage as the plastic shiny disks gained prominence in the 1990s. Digital downloads of movies, podcasts, music albums, etc have brought down the numbers drastically. This has been achieved by keeping the costs of digital downloads minimal or even free and making it much more convenient.

This has drastically brought down the amount of waste produced through CDs and DVDs and in turn, helped lessen the effect of electronic waste on our planet.

INFLUX OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR COMMUNICATION:

Messaging apps, as well as social media websites, are one of the biggest gainers from the digital uprising that saw the number of social media users swell to monumental proportions. This lets them stay connected with their loved ones more interactively for way less cost and hassle.

The influx of social media websites and messaging apps have reduced the need for written or printed letters on paper to save trees from being chopped down incessantly.

HOW GOING DIGITAL IS SAVING EARTH?

PAPERLESS OPERATIONS:

• MONEY TALK:

Paper money is on its way out as new mediums take its place. On top of those mediums is digital media. Cashless payments in the form of e-wallets like Paytm, PhonePe, Google Tez, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, and the likes have flooded our smart devices. This has caused a massive reduction in usage of token currency made from paper.

• SWITCH TO DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS:

Do you know those annoying bunches of paper that found their way to our mailboxes back in the day? Yes! Those newsletters have vanished to let the mailbox have some breathing space.

However, they still remain annoying as ever, just in a digital format.

The silver lining here is that we are saving paper and to avoid cutting of millions of trees just for the sake of those newsletters.

• E-NEWS:

Love reading the news? You don’t need to rely on your paperboy to deliver it your doorstep anymore. Most big media companies have made the transition to make their daily copies available online in the form of e papers.  Not only can you find millions of news articles at the tip of your fingers, but the need to store those old papers also vanishes away.

You can filter the type of news you wish to read and avoid going through clutters of unnecessary ads and unimportant listings.

Just like E-news, there is also an option to switch to E-books.

All these alternatives help save the trees that are so important for the well being of our environment and for the sustenance of life on Earth.

VIRTUAL TOURISM:

Excess of everything is bad and this applies to the tourism industry as well.

Our environment cannot handle the pressure of excessive strain on resources. Increased tourism practices indirectly lead to deforestation, acidification of oceans, increased pollution, among other problems.

A new venture that recently found popularity, virtual tourism lets you enjoy worldwide destinations without having to travel to faraway places.

This digital initiative makes use of VR technology and the wonders of the internet to make you experience everything right from your computer screens.

Moreover, you can educate yourself and others about the harmful effects of basic things like overusing showers through the medium of Virtual Reality.

REDUCTION IN POLLUTION:

Production of paper involves using machinery that makes more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For every 1 ton of paper produced, over 1.5 tons of Carbon Dioxide is released into the atmosphere and this is only the tip of a polluted iceberg!

Going digital reduces this pressure to control air pollution.

The waste produced by paper-related industries also does great harm to our ecosystem. Simply taking a digital initiative by saving your files onto a computer or online instead of on paper goes a long way in protecting the Earth.

MAKING THE RIGHT CLICKS – DONATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH:

As you read this article, scientists all around the globe are working round the clock to research on more ways to protect our home planet from complete devastation by the hands of humanity. Constant efforts are underway to make sustainable living a reality so that our future generations grow up under the shade of trees. By making the right clicks on your digital devices, you can contribute to the cause of environmental research.

Despite widespread knowledge about digital media, some parts of the public are still clueless about the advantages of going digital and its positive effects on the planet. You can contribute by sharing this article and your knowledge on the topic.