On Jul 26, 2019, at 07:14, Brian E Carpenter <brian.e.carpenter@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > After all, the Internet is directly responsible for several % of world energy consumption. This is a bit like saying the Autobahns are directly responsible for all those car exhausts. While the operation of the Internet does consume a non-trivial amount of power, much more energy goes into providing the services that are accessed over the Internet (e.g., in “data centers”). Improving the Internet can help reduce the energy footprint of providing these services (e.g., by enabling the move of service operation closer to power generation and into regions that need less additional energy for cooling). (A few of those services can also actually help save energy, but that is pretty much outside the domain of the IETF.) Computing in the network (see the new COINRG) might help as well. Too early to say. We could make energy use a constant consideration for the research in that space, so we learn more about what can be achieved. Re our own meeting footprint: We already have one of the best remote participation schemes in the industry, so I think our needs for virtue signaling are covered. Of course, further improvements in our own footprint should be sought whenever we make changes. But we should focus on the work that actually makes a difference in the grand scheme of things, with a cool-headed engineer’s point of view, and our own footprint vanishes in that global impact. Grüße, Carsten
