Firefox Eco-Mode and other ideas for a sustainable internet

Internet of Humans
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For the last months, I’ve been hosting workshops and discussions with folks about what an eco-friendly browser could look like and collecting other bold ideas for a sustainable internet.

We’re in a climate crisis. The internet contributes 2% of the world’s global carbon emissions. And it’s only growing.

How can we reduce emissions and advocate for a more sustainable internet? What else could the open internet do for the planet? We invite technologists, designers, climate activists and citizens who care about the internet and the planet to dream and develop these idea and even more ambitious ones together.

@mrchrisadams and @pbihr have been instrumental in this thinking, and also a thanks to @johncoate for his encouragement and support in getting the conversation out.

I welcome folks to check this growing wiki page with some of the top ideas: Projects/Sustainability - MozillaWiki

and this blog post for some personal context: https://michellethorne.cc/2019/10/the-climate-crisis-and-the-internet/

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I like the wiki, certainly a good mix of thoughts already! :slight_smile:

To add some more, here’s some stuff we have been working on in the Edgeryders organization in the past months: our Green Travel Manual and Distributed Collaboration Manual will add some relevant points to wiki section “Organizational travel policies”.

It’s obvious that when we (rightfully) say “climate crisis”, the adequate reaction is crisis response, not business as usual. For example, and this is still one of the more moderate versions of the required changes, all offices must be closed down as fast as possible. In the digital age, people who just move information around have no justification to travel at all. Even if their traveling would be completely CO2 neutral, office buildings require heating, ventilation and embodied energy in addition to homes, all of which is CO2 intensive for the foreseeable future.