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The impact of the COVID pandemic saw friends, families and work colleagues take to video conferencing systems to keep close, but a new study has revealed the environmental impact of video streaming. The research, which was conducted by Purdue University, found that one hour of video conferencing emits between 150 and 1000 grams of carbon dioxide. The streaming will also use up 12 litres of water and account for an area of land the size of an iPad. According to the study, if we turned our cameras from HD to standard definition, our carbon impact would reduce by 86 per cent, and turning it off completely would cut it by 96 per cent. The study is the first of its kind to look at the environmental impact of actions we take online on platforms such as YouTube, Zoom and TikTok. “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,” said Kaveh Madani, who led the study. “So without your consent, these platforms are increasing your environmental footprint.” The data processing used in internet and video streaming produces large amounts of electricity, which in turn build up increased carbon, water and land footprints. It is thought that prior to COVID lockdowns, the world’s internet consumption accounted for 3.7% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.