Worldwide, Internet computers directly pollute the equivalent of 22 million cars. And the Infrastructure powering the Internet contributes more carbon emissions that the entire Aviation Industry.
However, VentureBeat contributors Salman Farmanfarmaian and researcher Shui Bin argue that the impacts of out of sight, "embedded carbon emissions" or emissions that are resulting from the manufacturing of IT-related and telecommunication products, must also be considered. Using a method for estimating the carbon emissions embedded in the product developed by Carnegie Melon, the two estimate that:
The emissions embodied in all IT and telecommunications equipment imports are 3.5 times more than all emissions from electric power generation in California