Turning off your camera during Zoom calls is better for the environment, new study claims

Researchers from Purdue University, Yale University and MIT also recommended streaming content in standard definition, not HD

A new environmental study by Purdue University has recommended video call users turn off their cameras to cut carbon emissions. Unsplash

In the past year, many of us have become accustomed to regular video conferences and Zoom calls in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent restrictions.

However, a new study claims the recent shift to remote working, as well as an uplift in at-home streaming, presents significant environmental impact.

Just one hour of video-conferencing or streaming emits between 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide, a study by Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found.

Turning off your camera during calls could, however, save up to three gallons of water and an area of land about the size of an iPad Mini from environmental, the study's authors recommended.

Overall, leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce carbon footprints by 96 per cent, the study – published in the Resources, Conservation & Recycling journal – claimed.

"Without your consent, these platforms are increasing your environmental footprint," said the study's lead author, Kaveh Madani.

"Banking systems tell you the positive environmental impact of going paperless, but no one tells you the benefit of turning off your camera or reducing your streaming quality."

The study also estimated that streaming entertainment content, from the likes of Netflix, in standard definition rather than HD could reduce your carbon footprint by 86 per cent.

The study is the first of its kind to investigate how internet usage affects water and land footprints, as well as carbon emissions.

Banking systems tell you the positive environmental impact of going paperless, but no one tells you the benefit of turning off your camera or reducing your streaming quality

"If you just focus on one type of footprint, you miss out on others that can provide a more holistic look at environmental impact," said Purdue professor Roshanak Nateghi.

The team estimated the carbon, water and land footprints associated with each gigabyte of data used on YouTube, Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and 12 other platforms, as well as in online gaming and general web surfing.

Because of the electricity needed for data processing, apps that relied on video resulted in a higher footprint.

The study also found that results varied by country, as well as by platform, though researchers only gathered publicly available data from 13 countries, including the UK, US, India, Brazil and China.

While the estimates are rough, and rely on data made public, researchers said they hoped the study's findings would make people pay more attention to the consequences of increased internet usage during the pandemic.