Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Holborow, and welcome to computing.

I'm so pleased you've decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be looking at the environmental impacts of data systems, and we'll also be exploring how some of these impacts can be reduced.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit "Databases and SQL." This lesson is called "The Environmental Impact of Data Systems," and by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to identify the environmental impacts of data systems, discuss sustainability, and propose reduction strategies.

Shall we make a start? We will be exploring these keywords in today's lesson.

Let's take a look at them now.

"Data centre." Data centre: facility that houses servers, storage systems, and networking equipment to store, process, and distribute data.

"Renewable energy." Renewable energy: energy that comes from natural sources that are constantly replenished and will not run out.

Look out for these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is split into two sections.

We'll start by identifying the environmental impacts of data systems. We'll then move on to describe how environmental impacts can be reduced.

Let's make a start by identifying the environmental impacts of data systems. An environmental issue in the context of computing is the impact of creating, using, and disposing of digital devices on the environment.

The sheer volume of data and the emergence of big data has meant that locally stored data and relational databases can no longer be saved on single servers owned by an organisation.

This has led to a need and rise of data centres.

A data centre houses the digital world through storage and processing.

It is used for powering online services and applications and providing essential infrastructure and support.

By infrastructure, we mean the hardware and the networking that's required for these systems. Companies, instead of housing their own servers, now rent storage and software from cloud provider companies like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

These cloud services are all delivered from massive data centres.

If a data centre is housed in a location, it can have an impact on the environment around it.

Data centres operate 24/7, so 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, using vast amounts of electricity.

This power is not just for the servers themselves but also for the supporting systems. The servers generate immense heat, and keeping them cool is crucial to prevent them from breaking down.

This requires massive cooling systems, which can account for up to 40% of a data center's total energy use.

Forecasts predict that by 2030, consumption of the world's data centres could reach up to 13% of global power consumption.

This increase is mainly due to the growing demand for digital services and the increase in the amount of data generated.

A significant proportion of data centres still draw their power from national electricity grids that rely heavily on burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.

This directly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, increasing carbon dioxide, or CO2, in the atmosphere.

Time to check your understanding.

Which of the following is a major environmental impact of data centres? A, increased biodiversity in urban areas; B, significant consumption of electricity, often leading to higher carbon emissions; C, reduction in electronic waste generation; or D, decrease in the need for renewable energy sources? Pause the video whilst you think carefully about your answer.

Did you select B? Well done.

A major environmental impact of data centres is the significant consumption of electricity, often leading to higher carbon emissions.

Many data centres use large quantities of water for their cooling systems. This water can be used for evaporative cooling, where water evaporates to absorb heat, or sometimes for direct liquid cooling of servers.

What is a common method used by data centres to manage heat generated by servers? Is it A, installing solar panels on servers; B, water- and air-based cooling systems; C, using biodegradable server racks; or D, running servers only at night? Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

Did you select B? Well done.

Water- and air-based cooling systems are commonly used by data centres to manage the heat generated by servers.

Beyond the data centre itself, the vast global network of infrastructure, so for example, routers, switches, and cell towers, that allow us to access and move data to and from these storage facilities, also consume significant amounts of energy.

Technology evolves incredibly quickly.

Servers and other data centre equipment can become quickly outdated and need to be replaced much faster than any other types of infrastructure.

If not disposed of properly, they can add to the e-waste concerns around the world.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson.

I'd like you to identify and explain the environmental impacts of data systems. Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on? Did you manage to identify and explain some environmental impacts of data systems? Well done.

Let's look at a sample answer together.

Data systems like big data centres can have a negative effect on the environment.

First of all, they use a lot of electricity to keep the computers running and to power cooling systems, which stop them from overheating.

This electricity comes from things like coal or gas, and it causes pollution and climate change.

They also sometimes use a lot of water to keep the systems cool, which can be a problem in places where water is limited.

Another issue is electronic waste.

Data centres often get rid of old equipment when it breaks or becomes outdated, and this can end up in landfills and harm the environment.

Remember, if you want to pause the video here and add any detail to your answer, you can do that now.

So we've identified the environmental impacts of data systems. Let's now move on to describe how some of these environmental impacts could be reduced.

Let's quickly check your understanding with a true or false statement.

"Because data is stored in the cloud, it doesn't have a physical or environmental impact." Is this statement true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you select false? Well done.

But why is this statement false? The term cloud seems invisible.

So many people assume their photos, videos, apps, and files are floating around in some harmless digital space, but in reality, the cloud is made up of millions of physical data centres, which are based across the world, and these data centres have a physical and environmental impact.

Data centres have faced scrutiny about their environmental impact, and because of this, many data centres are looking at ways to reduce environmental impact.

Some of these methods include: use of renewable energy sources, use of better cooling systems, recycling old equipment, building more efficiently, and use of green software and hardware.

Let's take a look at each of these in a bit more detail now.

Use of renewable energy sources.

Using renewable energy sources like wind, solar, or hydropower, instead of fossil fuels, can significantly reduce the environmental impact of data centres.

Switching to renewable energy sources reduces greenhouse gas emissions and results in data centres having smaller carbon footprints.

A data centre could place solar panels on rooftops, instal wind turbines near data centres, and purchase energy from renewable energy providers.

Use of better cooling systems. Cooling is one of the biggest energy drains in the data centre.

More modern eco-friendly cooling systems include: liquid cooling, which uses water or special fluids instead of air; free cooling, by using the outside air in colder climates; AI-controlled climate systems to cool only where and when needed.

Time to check your understanding.

I've got a question for you.

Why is cooling important in data centres? Is it A, to reduce the size of servers; B, to prevent servers from overheating and failing; C, to increase the speed of internet connections; or D, to save water resources? Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

Did you select B? Well done.

I knew you'd get this right.

Cooling is important in data centres to prevent servers from overheating and failing.

Recycling old equipment.

Data centres often throw out hardware quickly as technology changes.

To reduce the amount of e-waste, data centres could: repair and reuse servers and other components where possible, recycle responsibly using certified recycling services, and donate or sell older but usable equipment to smaller companies or schools.

Building more efficiently.

Building greener data centres involves designing buildings with sustainability in mind.

This can include: using recycled materials in construction, installing green roofs and natural insulation, installing more modern and efficient cooling systems, and choosing cooler climates in the first place, for example, Scandinavia or Canada, to lower cooling needs.

Use of green software and hardware.

Green software is designed to use less energy and resources while running.

The goal is to reduce the software's carbon footprint by making it more efficient and eco-friendly, for example, only running backups when needed.

Green hardware is physical technology, like servers, computers, or devices, that are built to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Some devices are designed to have lower power consumption.

Okay, we are moving on to our final task of today's lesson.

I'd like you to explain two methods that can be used to reduce the environmental impact of data centres.

If you need to, you can go back to the previous slides to help you with your answer.

Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on? Were you able to explain two methods that can be used to reduce the environmental impact of data centres? Well done.

Let's have a look at a sample answer together.

Data centres have a negative impact on the environment.

One method to reduce this negative impact is to power data centres using renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, or hydropower.

This helps reduce the amount of fossil fuels being burned.

As a result, the data centre has a much smaller carbon footprint, which helps fight climate change.

Another way is to improve the cooling systems used in data centres.

Traditional air conditioning systems use a lot of electricity, but more modern methods like liquid cooling or using outside air in colder climates can cool the servers more efficiently.

This means the data centre uses less energy overall, which helps reduce environmental damage and lowers running costs, too.

Did you have something similar in your answer? Remember, if you need to pause the video here to make any additional notes, you can do that now.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson "The Environmental Impact of Data Systems," and you've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned together in this lesson.

Data systems have a significant environmental impact, especially due to the large-scale data centres.

Data centres consume vast amounts of electricity mainly for running servers and cooling systems. Most electricity for data centres comes from fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainable practises can reduce impacts, such as using renewable energy and efficient cooling systems. I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope you'll join me again soon.

Bye.