Abstract: This discussion paper considers the nature of growth in data traffic across the Internet, as a basis for asking whether and how such growth might slow down or otherwise be limited. Over the last decade, data growth has been dramatic, and forecasts predict a similar ongoing pattern. Since this is associated with increasing electricity consumption, such a trend is significant to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. In this paper, we selectively explore aspects of data growth that are linked to everyday practices and the way they draw upon a...
(read more)
Topics: 
Environmental economics