Few think much about the amount of electrical energy the IT industry uses. We look at our small units and think they require little to power them. For each one yes, how many are plug in in your home now, on your street, town and country. Many are plugged in and not charging or powering a device. These switch mode power supplies use energy even when only plugged in and not charging. We should unplug them when not in use. It puzzles me why so many environmentalists have no concern how much energy the IT Industry requires. Predictions are its energy requirements will out strip the available supply in a few years. Of even greater concern is the amount of energy a segment of the IT industry, the Telecom industry uses.

Recent reports out of China is some of their telcos are shutting the base stations for 5G off between 9PM and 9 AM to save power. A white paper from Huawei notes 5G base stations use 3 and a half times the power the 4G stations used. 4G was not noted to be particularly energy efficient.

One has to be concerned about the excessive energy consumption. The energy is going somewhere, whether it is microwave heating water vapour or just heat in general going into the environment it is going somewhere and doing something. How much of it is it contributing to our climate change challenges. Why are environmentalists not concerned about this excessive use of electrical energy.