Data storage

Computer data is the cornerstone of modern science but it comes with a cost. It has been estimated that worldwise, data centres have a yearly carbon footprint of 100 megatons of CO₂. The cost of storing data on a hard drive has been estimated at 10 kgCO₂ /TB/year. This is becoming an acute problem as machine learning increases in prevalence. How can we eliminate this polluting and destructive consequence of our data-generating activities?

There are two broad options:

1. Find a server that is powered by renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. To find out w has the greenest data storage, see this article in Wired magazine.

2. Switch to storage on a hard medium such as tape. This is the preferred option for large amounts of data over a long time period. Currently, a single tape cassette can hold up to 15GB data, but this may increase in the near future.

See also: Ten simple rules to make your computing more environmentally sustainable

and this discussion of how to improve IT energy use efficiency, by the Dutch educational organisation SURF https://www.surf.nl/en/energy-smart-computing