39,115 research outputs found

    Challenges and complexities in application of LCA approaches in the case of ICT for a sustainable future

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    In this work, three of many ICT-specific challenges of LCA are discussed. First, the inconsistency versus uncertainty is reviewed with regard to the meta-technological nature of ICT. As an example, the semiconductor technologies are used to highlight the complexities especially with respect to energy and water consumption. The need for specific representations and metric to separately assess products and technologies is discussed. It is highlighted that applying product-oriented approaches would result in abandoning or disfavoring of new technologies that could otherwise help toward a better world. Second, several believed-untouchable hot spots are highlighted to emphasize on their importance and footprint. The list includes, but not limited to, i) User Computer-Interfaces (UCIs), especially screens and displays, ii) Network-Computer Interlaces (NCIs), such as electronic and optical ports, and iii) electricity power interfaces. In addition, considering cross-regional social and economic impacts, and also taking into account the marketing nature of the need for many ICT's product and services in both forms of hardware and software, the complexity of End of Life (EoL) stage of ICT products, technologies, and services is explored. Finally, the impact of smart management and intelligence, and in general software, in ICT solutions and products is highlighted. In particular, it is observed that, even using the same technology, the significance of software could be highly variable depending on the level of intelligence and awareness deployed. With examples from an interconnected network of data centers managed using Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) technology and smart cooling systems, it is shown that the unadjusted assessments could be highly uncertain, and even inconsistent, in calculating the management component's significance on the ICT impacts.Comment: 10 pages. Preprint/Accepted of a paper submitted to the ICT4S Conferenc

    ICT and the Environment in Developing Countries: an Overview of Opportunities and Developments

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    Both developed and developing countries face many environmental challenges, including climate change, improving energy efficiency and waste management, addressing air pollution, water quality and scarcity, and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. Drawing on the existing literature, this paper presents an overview of how the Internet and the ICT and related research communities can help tackle environmental challenges in developing countries. The review focuses on the role of ICTs in climate change mitigation, mitigating other environmental pressures, and climate change adaptation.information and communication technology (ICT), environment, climate change, mitigation, adaptation.

    Models of technology and change in higher education: an international comparative survey on the current and future use of ICT in higher education

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    The aim of this study is to investigate which scenarios are emerging with respect to the use of ICT in higher education and how future developments can be predicted and strategic choices can be based on that. It seeks to answer the following questions:\ud What strategic responses do institutions make with respect to the use of ICT; Which external conditions and developments influence these choices; Which external and internal conditions and measures are taken in order to achievestrategic targets; What are the implications for technology use, teaching and learning processes and staff? \ud The study applies an international comparative methodology and is carried out in the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, Finland and the USA. Data were collected through Web-based questionnaires tailored to three different response groups: decision makers, support staff and instructors. In total 693 persons responded to the questionnaire. This implies that between 20 and 50 percent of the institutions in the various countries responded (institutional data were also gathered), with the exception of the USA where the response was much lower

    The cost of virtue : reward as well as feedback are required to reduce user ICT power consumption

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    This work was partly supported by the IU-AC project, funded by grant EP/J016756/1 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).We show that students in a school lab environment will change their behaviour to be more energy efficient, when appropriate incentives are in place, and when measurement-based, real-time feedback about their energy usage is provided. Rewards incentivise `non-green' users to be `green' as well as encouraging those users who already claim to be `green'. Measurement-based feedback improves user energy awareness and helps users to explore and adjust their use of computers to become `greener', but is not sufficient by itself. In our measurements, weekly mean group energy use as a whole reduced by up to 16%; and weekly individual user energy consumption reduced by up to 56% during active use. The findings are drawn from our longitudinal study that involved 83 Computer Science students; lasted 48 weeks across 2 academic years; monitored a total of 26778 hours of active computer use; collected approximately 2TB of raw data.Publisher PD

    Systematic Analysis of Rebound Effects for "Greening by ICT" Initiatives

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    The application of ICT can lead to considerable reductions in the energy consumption of society. Although ICT itself consumes energy, there are many good reasons to explore the possibilities of 'green ICT'. After decades of experiments and research, ICTs designed to be 'green' still holds the promise of leading to substantial ecological benefits by means of dematerialisation, more efficient production processes and changed (more sustainable) human behaviour. Up till now, the effects of ICT on energy consumption are much less straightforward due to rebound effects: effects that have a negative influence on the intended positive effect. In parallel, rebound effects themselves have in turn other side effects as well, so there are many interacting effects to account for, greatly adding to complexity of the discussion. Despite evidence that suggests otherwise, initiatives that focus on 'greening by ICT' do notaccount for a consistent analysis of these rebound effects. This paper proposes an approach that enables to map and analyze these rebound effects systematically. This approach is applied in two related cases, teleworking and the use of Smart Working Centres. The Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) is used as a simulation model to identify which chains of effects are most interesting to consider for intervention. The application in the two cases demonstrates that rebound effects can by structured and that the RAP is a very suitable way to do so and provides a good assessment of net sustainability effects.rebound effects, Rapid Assesment Program, greening by ICT, teleworking.

    A systematic review of the energy and climate impacts of teleworking

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    Information and communication technologies (ICTs) increasingly enable employees to work from home and other locations (‘teleworking’). This study explores the extent to which teleworking reduces the need to travel to work and the consequent impacts on economy-wide energy consumption. Methods/Design: The paper provides a systematic review of the current state of knowledge of the energy impacts of teleworking. This includes the energy savings from reduced commuter travel and the indirect impacts on energy consumption associated with changes in non-work travel and home energy consumption. The aim is to identify the conditions under which teleworking leads to a net reduction in economy-wide energy consumption, and the circumstances where benefits may be outweighed by unintended impacts. The paper synthesises the results of 39 empirical studies, identified through a comprehensive search of 9,000 published articles. Review results/Synthesis: Twenty six of the 39 studies suggest that teleworking reduces energy use, and only eight studies suggest that teleworking increases, or has a neutral impact on energy use. However, differences in the methodology, scope and assumptions of the different studies make it difficult to estimate ‘average’ energy savings. The main source of savings is the reduced distance travelled for commuting, potentially with an additional contribution from lower office energy consumption. However, the more rigorous studies that include a wider range of impacts (e.g. non-work travel or home energy use) generally find smaller savings. Discussion: Despite the generally positive verdict on teleworking as an energy-saving practice, there are numerous uncertainties and ambiguities about its actual or potential benefits. These relate to the extent to which teleworking may lead to unpredictable increases in non-work travel and home energy use that may outweigh the gains from reduced work travel. The available evidence suggests that economy-wide energy savings are typically modest, and in many circumstances could be negative or non-existent

    The Munro review of child protection. Pt. 1, A systems analysis

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