Is Your Use of Cloud Services Heating up the Earth?

Molly Kozlowski

August 20, 2019

https://www.digitalethics.org/essays/your-use-cloud-services-heating-earth

"Clouds Up In Smoke "

First Impression:

Based on the title firsthand, I think it's all about self-control and proper use of such things in order to avoid such negative effects, in order to answer the title itself ---in other words, use cloud services responsively.

Quote: 

"However, just because our music is stored on devices that fit in the palm of our hands rather than massive record collections, it doesn’t mean listening to our favorite albums on repeat comes without a price to our environment."

Reflection Proper:

Since we live in a world of progressive technology, we always create a lot of inventions everyday that makes our lives easier. However, most people fail to realize that every creation has effects, good and bad. For this particular discussion, I am pointing out a particular example: subject of cloud services. See, even though invisible, and many people don't know this, but even though we are trying to be "environment-friendly" by switching such services like accessing media into a transition from tangible to intangible, and sure, it does have its results like the elimination of "e-waste" (discarded electronics, CDs, batteries) and decrease of plastic consumption (i.e. plastics used to create vinyl records) from 61 million kilograms during the 2000's to 8 million kilograms, that still doesn't mean that what we are doing doesn't effect our environmental; after all, as they say, everything comes with a price. Cloud services, in accordance with the article in question, seems to be the main heart of a large carbon footprint that serves to be threatening to our environment, and it's growing due to the fact that nowadays we do have streaming services and cloud technology we use everyday from listening to Spotify or Apple Music playlists to reading articles or watching movies in Netflix. Personally, from my standpoint and everyone's else, we should take this information into account and act upon it and be serious about it especially this concerns our entire world and environment's sustainability. A great solution would be advising everyone to have some self-control in their use of cloud services and perhaps find a better alternative that is beneficial and non-destructive perhaps. But since we are in a technological world nowadays, my advice would be this: those one in charge of such cloud services should take action as well as the ones who are using them, or possibly, governments across the world should have responsible and professional individuals that can provide such solutions or plans to control cloud service consumption; for what is worth, we should always remember that we should be ready for anything and be attentive to our changing world, for every creation has both good and bad effects to us.

5 Things Learned From Article: 

1. I learned that  we should be responsible for using technology, especially cloud services, and provide such solutions to lessen negative impacts to the world.

2. I learned about the dangerous effects of using certain cloud services everyday to our environment.

3. I learned about the differences between cloud services and its physical counterparts when it comes to environmental impact.

4. I learned that every technological creation should be taken care of correctly, and all effects are taken into account, especially negative ones. 

5. I learned that we should change ourselves for the better when it comes to such things like media consumption.

5 Integrative Questions:

1. How can we control and make sure that technology (cloud services included) doesn't cause such harm to the environment?

2. What are the effects of cloud services nowadays to our world, in terms of environment?

3. What are the differences between cloud services and its physical counterparts when it comes to environmental impact?

4. How should we control our creations and make sure that they don't cause harm?

5. How can we change for the better when it comes to media consumption?