Exploring the sustainability challenges facing digitalization and internet data centers

Kez, Dlzar Al; Foley, Aoife; Laverty, David; Rio, Dylan D. Furszyfer Del; Sovacool, Benjamin K.

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133633

Cited by 37 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…It is said that centralized storage could reduce the risk of data loss if the original files are corrupted. Data storage is also a growing environmental concern, favoring options that lessen the carbon footprint [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Roles and Responsibilities of Institutional Signing Officials After Data Sharing Policy Reform for Federally Funded Research in the United States: National Survey

Baek,

Lawson,

Rahimzadeh

2024

JMIR Form Res

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Background New federal policies along with rapid growth in data generation, storage, and analysis tools are together driving scientific data sharing in the United States. At the same, triangulating human research data from diverse sources can also create situations where data are used for future research in ways that individuals and communities may consider objectionable. Institutional gatekeepers, namely, signing officials (SOs), are therefore at the helm of compliant management and sharing of human data for research. Of those with data governance responsibilities, SOs most often serve as signatories for investigators who deposit, access, and share research data between institutions. Although SOs play important leadership roles in compliant data sharing, we know surprisingly little about their scope of work, roles, and oversight responsibilities. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe existing institutional policies and practices of US SOs who manage human genomic data access, as well as how these may change in the wake of new Data Management and Sharing requirements for National Institutes of Health–funded research in the United States. Methods We administered an anonymous survey to institutional SOs recruited from biomedical research institutions across the United States. Survey items probed where data generated from extramurally funded research are deposited, how researchers outside the institution access these data, and what happens to these data after extramural funding ends. Results In total, 56 institutional SOs participated in the survey. We found that SOs frequently approve duplicate data deposits and impose stricter access controls when data use limitations are unclear or unspecified. In addition, 21% (n=12) of SOs knew where data from federally funded projects are deposited after project funding sunsets. As a consequence, most investigators deposit their scientific data into “a National Institutes of Health–funded repository” to meet the Data Management and Sharing requirements but also within the “institution’s own repository” or a third-party repository. Conclusions Our findings inform 5 policy recommendations and best practices for US SOs to improve coordination and develop comprehensive and consistent data governance policies that balance the need for scientific progress with effective human data protections.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Roles and Responsibilities of Institutional Signing Officials After Data Sharing Policy Reform for Federally Funded Research in the United States: National Survey

Baek,

Lawson,

Rahimzadeh

2024

JMIR Form Res

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“…The ongoing fourth industrial revolution, characterized by technological advancements like the IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data [62], requires higher education institutions to revamp their curricula to prepare students for the evolving job market [63]. The continuing social, political, economic, and technological shifts are influencing individuals' lifestyles, work patterns, and educational pursuits.…”

Section: Influences On Higher Education Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Development in Third Level Programs: Distilling a Pathway to a True Net-Zero Education

Al Kez,

Lowans,

Foley

2024

Sustainability

Self Cite

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This study probes the notable gap between the theoretical endorsement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 7, 12, and 13, and their tangible implementation in higher education curricula. We hypothesize that entrenched unsustainable practices in key academic disciplines, such as engineering and business, persist despite the global shift towards sustainability. The study engages a diverse cohort of participants from academia, public, private, and nonprofit sectors, chosen for their distinct roles and insights in integrating SDGs into educational and industrial frameworks. Our research design integrates an extensive qualitative literature review and critical analyses with quantitative surveys using specially designed instruments. The study was conducted with a sample of 48 participants, representing various sectors, using specially designed survey instruments to gauge expert opinions on the barriers and opportunities in advancing sustainable education. Our findings identify economic and administrative hurdles as primary impediments to academia’s shift towards sustainability. The data underscore the urgent need for targeted strategies in transitioning to a net-zero educational paradigm. The study concludes with a call to reshape academic initiatives, highlighting the critical role of education in preparing future leaders. It emphasizes bridging the gap between theoretical support for SDGs and their practical application in academia, proposing actionable strategies for this alignment.

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“…The behavior of the user as a consumer is a factor that must be analyzed, for this reason [7] evidence in his studies to the user, reluctant to accept his responsibility, waiting for governmental or business solutions that allow a care of the environment or worse still if the user considers that the solutions are restrictive, tends to become skeptical about efficiency and reject the initiatives that network administrators, data centers, and largetechnology corporations tend to care for the environment, the reduction of the carbon, water or soil footprint among others. The next part in common is the data they generate; it is known that data must be used and treated to have value, this leads to energy consumption and storage; [9] frames data in critical, redundant and obscure, the latter known as (unnecessary, unstructured or inert). For this reason, the more a user stores data, the better it is for certain service providers, according to research from Hewlett Packard enterprise, only about 6% of all data generated by a user is used, which translates into 94% of a large repository cyber that would cause carbon footprint in unused data [3].…”

Section: The Role Of the End User As A Consumermentioning

confidence: 99%

The weight of data: an analysis based on the impact on the environment

Ramirez Lopez,

Cortes Rodriguez,

Maldonado

2024

Bulletin EEI

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The carbon footprint generated by the information and communications technology (ICT) sector is increasingly significant, emitting greenhouse gases due to high energy consumption, regardless of the way in which energy is generated, the expansion and growth in data centers, as well as the impact generated by the cryptocurrency sector that in the end represents is reflected in greater consumerism, processing, storage, and transport of information that will be somewhere in the world. Current research addresses the problems and the contrast of figures in energy consumption due to the use of a computer, data processing, the role of the user as an internet consumer, the impact of data centers both in carbon footprint, water footprint and soil footprint, the impact of cryptocurrency mining and its contribution to global energy expenditure as well as the ethical debate of new technologies. And finally, the advances in seeking to optimize energy resources, sustainable and conscious for both consumers and service providers, show the trends focused on energy optimization through software and hardware based on a judicious review of research documents.

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Exploring the sustainability challenges facing digitalization and internet data centers

Cited by 37 publications

References 22 publications

Investigating the Roles and Responsibilities of Institutional Signing Officials After Data Sharing Policy Reform for Federally Funded Research in the United States: National Survey

Investigating the Roles and Responsibilities of Institutional Signing Officials After Data Sharing Policy Reform for Federally Funded Research in the United States: National Survey

Sustainable Development in Third Level Programs: Distilling a Pathway to a True Net-Zero Education

The weight of data: an analysis based on the impact on the environment

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