Towards an holistic view of the energy and environmental impacts of domestic media and IT

Abstract

To date, research in sustainable HCI has dealt with ecofeedback, usage and recycling of appliances within the home, and longevity of portable electronics such as mobile phones. However, there seems to be less awareness of the energy and greenhouse emissions impacts of domestic consumer electronics and information technology. Such awareness is needed to inform HCI sustainability researchers on how best to prioritise efforts around digital media and IT. Grounded in inventories, interview and plug energy data from 33 undergraduate student participants, our findings provide the context for assessing approaches to reducing the energy and carbon emissions of media and IT in the home. In the paper, we use the findings to discuss and inform more fruitful directions that sustainable HCI research might take, and we quantify how various strategies might have modified the energy and emissions impacts for our participants.

Exploring (un)sustainable growth of digital technologies in the home

“…With this in mind it is interesting to consider how competence plays a part of growth in device use and social practices. Bates et al suggest that connoisseurs are potentially the most likely to respond in a make more sustainable choices when trying to lower the energy and emissions associated with media and IT [7]. Our findings point to the contrary.…”

“…Constellations are often networked ecologies that enable expansions of practice through connected or networked peripherals (e.g. a Chromecast connected to a TV enables a wider set of practices which now include the TV in the constellation to enable the performance) [7].…”

“…Due to higher competence with the technology , connoisseurs typically optimise their practices toward performances that include more digital technology and larger constellations, with more and more frequent upgrades [7].…”

“…using Shove's reductive social practice model [6]); growth that is encouraged by particular types of users (e.g. connoisseurs [7]); and, the growth in the physical space that practices can be performed [4]. These factors contribute to the escalating (energy and data) demand and growing embodied emissions.…”

“…This paper aims to contribute towards improved understandings of technological growth by: 1) identifying useful interpretations and valuations of "growth" as related to digital technologies in the home; 2) providing an understanding of how digital technologies have lead to growth (with this specific set of participants); and 3) pointing to current factors that spur or limit growth in technological usage with an eye to identifying elements or strategies that steer growth in favourable directions. [7].…”