By Lauren Rozenberg • 5 min read

When you hear about “the Cloud,” what comes to mind? It might be hard to imagine something in your brain because the word “cloud” is very abstract. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of cloud storage or cloud computing might not be physical. Despite this potentially false image that comes to most people’s minds, the Cloud has a very physical presence.

The Cloud is a system of servers that access data from various data centres across a region. The storage centres that house the data accessed by the Cloud are located on “server farms,” which are not unlike a regular farm. The difference is instead of growing and harvesting crops, this farm stores data in rows and columns. Because of their extensive capabilities, cloud storage is being used to store 60% of the world’s corporate data. This gives way to a $150 billion industry that is expected to continue to grow, meaning that the technology has the ability to develop further and improve its functions while also increasing its environmental impact. The result of cloud and storage centres is data readily and remotely accessible from all over the world at any time.

AI and the Cloud: Coding a more sustainable future

The ability to use AI and the Cloud to the advantage of the Earth can be powerful. Modelling and testing recommendations and seeing their effects on the climate are made possible due to cloud storage.

The main way that the Cloud is used to help create a more sustainable society is through its data storage and AI capabilities. AI uses the Cloud to store and later access data that is used for many functions, some of which help our earth. For example, in a manufacturing context, using data collected through manufacturing machinery can be used to create algorithms that determine the optimal batch size or capacity of a machine. With more accurate data, less waste is accumulated. The more efficient a system is, the less waste it produces, and AI can help increase the efficiency of machines. Other applications of AI for optimization include waste management systems, transportation routes to decrease gas and carbon emissions from vehicles, and water used in agriculture. The optimization abilities combined with a tool to closely measure the effects of proposed changes give companies a valuable toolkit to reach their sustainability goals.

Climate: How the Cloud is damaging the Earth

Despite the positive implications of the Cloud and its AI capabilities on reducing waste and predicting climate situations to better equip us today, AI has harmful effects on the planet. The way that the Cloud affects our planet is twofold, first in the creation and disposal of the physical cloud storage farms, and second in the emissions that these servers produce while running 24/7.

The physical structures of the Cloud are created using many different mined materials and manufacturing processes that contribute to the Earth’s carbon emissions. At the end of a centre’s life, the disposal of the storage can lead to toxic waste in landfills. To maintain the centres, harmful chemical cleaners are used to remove dust and ensure the data runs smoothly. While many of these processes are hard to recreate sustainably, they are essential to facilitate the Cloud’s processes, meaning tradeoffs must be made.

Running the Cloud 24/7 is crucial to serving the needs of customers. Storage centres cannot simply stop running mid-day as people all over the world rely on access to the data at any given moment. This constant running results in high carbon emissions, amounting to 2% of the world’s total carbon emissions.

Cloud vs. Climate

When you think of the Cloud now, does a different image pop into your mind? Maybe your picture has changed from an abstract image to a physical farm of storage centres, or a futuristic, Matrix-type land. Hopefully, now the Cloud doesn’t just bring up thoughts of Big Tech and confusion, but a conversation about how it can be used to help climate change while keeping emissions in check.