Data Storage Decision: Environmental Impact Dilemma – Cloud vs. Local Storage
In the digital age, the debate between cloud storage and local backup continues to be a hot topic, especially when it comes to environmental concerns. Here's a breakdown of the key factors to consider.
Data, stored in the cloud, makes round trips between servers of data hosts, allowing access from anywhere in the world. This global accessibility comes at a cost, as data centers consume a lot of electricity, equivalent to providing electricity for a city of 50,000 inhabitants for a 10,000 m2 site. However, cloud providers invest heavily in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable hardware practices to reduce carbon emissions at scale.
Local storage systems, on the other hand, include USB keys, external hard drives, NAS (Network Attached Storage), desktop or laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and even traditional hard drives. These devices consume energy during use and manufacturing, but their total footprint depends heavily on how often devices are used and replaced.
Cloud storage, despite its large and growing energy use, benefits from economies of scale and advanced energy-saving technologies to reduce environmental impact per unit of data stored. Key considerations include energy consumption, carbon footprint, lifecycle impact, efficiency and scalability, and sustainability potential.
Cloud data centers consume large amounts of power continuously, but many providers optimize usage with AI-driven storage management and power-saving technologies, which reduces energy waste and improves efficiency. The carbon impact is “hidden” to users but significant, though modern cloud providers often use renewable energy to reduce net emissions.
Local backup impacts are more direct and transparent—electricity used during backup and device manufacturing—but typically do not benefit from the same scale of efficiency or renewable sourcing as major cloud providers. However, local storage avoids the transmission energy costs and large data center overhead inherent to cloud storage.
The environmental benefit of cloud storage versus local backup depends significantly on factors like scale, provider sustainability efforts, hardware lifecycle, and usage patterns. For example, cleaning up files regularly on the cloud and using smaller local hard drives for backup purposes can help reduce environmental costs.
Local storage systems require the user's responsibility for device safety and potential loss or damage. In contrast, with cloud services, complex operations are performed on servers used by these web services. Examples of cloud storage platforms include Notion, Google Drive, and Canva.
If full control over data is desired, local backup may be a good alternative, but it requires an investment in hardware. SSDs, despite being more compact and using less material than traditional hard drives, are very energy-intensive throughout their lifecycle. For reasons of transport and material security, a Solid State Drive (SSD) appears to be a safer local backup solution than a Hard Disc Drive (HDD).
The fire at an OVH data center in Strasbourg on March 10, 2021, raised questions about the reliability of cloud storage. However, data centers require continuous cooling with air conditioning and water treatment systems to protect backups. Data transportation also consumes a significant amount of electricity.
Chinese researchers are working on a hard drive that can store up to 220,000 DVDs, which could potentially reduce the construction of data centers. However, the carbon footprint of this new equipment remains to be seen. Setting an expiration date for shared files is an effective solution for certain uses, such as video editors who share large amounts of data.
In summary, the choice between cloud storage and local backup depends on various factors, including environmental concerns, control over data, cost, and reliability. It's essential to consider the unique needs of each situation and make an informed decision based on the available information.
[1] KPCB. (2018). The State of Green Cloud Computing. Retrieved from https://www.kpcb.com/reports/the-state-of-green-cloud-computing [2] Greenpeace. (2017). Clicking Clean: The Full Environmental Impact of Cloud Computing. Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/28843/clicking-clean-the-full-environmental-impact-of-cloud-computing [3] Schmidt, H. (2019). The Carbon Footprint of Cloud Computing. Retrieved from https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2019/09/10/the-carbon-footprint-of-cloud-computing [4] Gartner. (2018). Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2019. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-09-18-gartner-identifies-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2019 [5] Microsoft. (2018). Building a Sustainable Cloud. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/what-we-do/technology/cloud-computing
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