Can software be eco-friendly too?
Eco-friendly software already exists and may be one of the best solutions for protecting the environment from pollution. A large number of companies have chosen to embrace the cause of sustainability, by heeding the requests of environmentalists and public opinion in general: more and more people are becoming increasingly worried about the exceptional weather events affecting the entire planet.
The role of eco-friendly software
As well as reducing emissions of harmful substances into our ecosystem and launching awareness campaigns about the issues affecting our earth, much more must be done in order to really help the planet.
The development of eco-friendly software, designed to assist large companies during their business operations, is an important step towards a greener future. There are several examples of this software and its impact around the world is already being felt.
The idea is to create intelligent programs, able to calculate the environmental damage resulting from a specific activity on the ecosystem in which it operates. In this way, it is possible to drastically reduce the negative effects. The advantages for businesses that decide to adopt these sustainable measures are considerable in terms of popularity and also financially.
Examples of eco-friendly software already in use
Some large companies in various sectors have adopted eco-friendly software in order to optimise their business operations. One example is a well-known airline based in the Arab Emirates, which, as well as creating a mixture of green fuels with a low environmental impact, has also commissioned the development of a very unusual software.
The program is in fact able to calculate the fuel needed to fly a specific route (under standard flying conditions) and provide an estimate of the harmful emissions generated by that specific flight. With this information, more environmentally-aware passengers can consider this when deciding which airline to fly with.
In addition, the software is able to calculate the cost per flight of ‘repairing’ the damage caused to the ecosystem. In other words, each passenger can make an additional payment, in addition to the price of the ticket, in order to plant trees to mitigate environmental damage caused by the flight.
Another factor with an enormous environmental impact is the wasting of electricity. The larger factories need huge quantities of electrical power to operate at full capacity, which often ends up being wasted due to a lack of attention.
Among the most common methods of producing electricity is of course fossil fuel combustion, from which however, only 35% of the energy stored in the fuel can be converted into electricity. The remaining energy is dispersed during combustion, together with other extremely harmful contaminants.
Reducing the electricity waste is therefore an indirect way to safeguard the planet and this is what eco-friendly software can be used for, as it is able to manage the use of electricity smartly. Companies who have opted for this solution have already recorded energy savings of over 46%.
Software may (perhaps) not be the definitive solution to pollution issues, but it can be very helpful in the fight to limit the damage caused by human activities in an increasingly fragile world which is now on the brink of collapse.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
