Energy of Internet

The internet, the most powerful tool in terms of engineering made by humans, has the most complicated structure. What we call the Internet is made up of a lot of things, wires traversing the ocean, satellites and cell phone towers, massive data centers sending packets of information all over and devices. The internet can be connected via a modem, or an ADSL switch center, to a local landline telephone exchange network. It can connect us from Sydney to Melbourne and then to the U.S.. However, it takes energy for the transmission system to transmit information. For example, the longer email you write, the more energy is consumed. Meanwhile, there are more than 30 billion things connected to the Internet, like cell phones, laptops, credit card readers, smart TV, and so on, and each of them requires electricity. In total, Internet-connected devices probably use around five percent of the world's electricity. And most of the electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.