62 trillion spam emails were sent in 2008
Spam comes with huge carbon footprint
/v3-uk/news/1950617/spam-comes-huge-carbon-footprint
16 Apr 2009, Iain Thomson , V3
Spam emails use up an estimated 33 terawatt hours of power each year, according to a report on the state of the spam industry by security vendor McAfee.
The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report (PDF) states that 62 trillion spam emails were sent in 2008, and that the energy used to send and delete them could power 2.4 million American homes. Each spam email generates 0.3 grams of carbon, the report said.
McAfee estimates that, while spam filters can cut the carbon footprint of spam by 75 per cent, it is far better to shut down spam at the source. The closure of the McColo spam operation last year caused a dramatic drop in spam levels, which had an unexpected environmental benefit.
"The most obvious benefit of the McColo shutdown for practically anyone with an email address was an immediate reduction in unsolicited junk messages," the report said.
"At the same time, the planet experienced a less obvious environmental benefit. For every spam email not sent, an associated reduction in electricity use, and therefore carbon emissions, took place."
Overall, the McColo shutdown saved the equivalent energy of taking 2.1 million cars off the road.
Businesses are also taking a financial hit from spam, the report said. A typical medium sized firm uses 50,000 kilowatt hours to run its email system, but over a fifth of that power is used to deal with spam.
The average business email user is responsible for 131Kg of CO2 per year in email-related emissions, and 22 per cent of that is spam related. Users viewing and deleting spam is the largest energy drain associated with spam, at almost 18 billion kilowatt hours or 52 per cent of total spam energy.
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
Erase your internet carbon footprint...
Well an easy way to erase ones carbon footprint is to use the green search engine www.treehoo.com that plants trees for most of the profit. It's Google based and has been chosen as one of the worlds top sustainable innovations by this years Globe Forum in Sweden. Great!
Posted by Jimmy, 16 Apr 2009
More energy used to publishe drivel like this...
Is the article seriously proposing that if these computers were not viewing spam they would be shut off?
Is a few trips around the world in a car (about 40,000 miles) really the same as the power used by millions of homes.
These folks are self-serving idiots.
Posted by Wandering, 16 Apr 2009
Bit of a stretch
If we really want to talk about carbon footprints and computing, then the way to really take care of it would be to simply turn the systems off. Power savings AND the obsolescence of spam, all in one fell swoop.
Posted by EJ, 16 Apr 2009
processing power
Are you saying that with less spam the processing power of each server will be reduced and hence saving wattage? Come on. I doubt so.
If you really want to save the earth, switch off the servers. I doubt that will ever happen.
The report serves no purpose.
Posted by vj, 17 Apr 2009
What about GOD?
I have been a Christian for over 64 years and that for me means being socially aware. But cars and power stations are not the problem, there are emissions from volcanoes and underwater fissures that are spewing out thousands of tons of CO2, but the scientist (I am also a scientist that believe in telling the facts, not the version the research payers are telling them to find.
I believe the Bible version of the end times is the right one, but I will have to wait to see who is right, just like the rest of you. In the meantime I live a day at a time and try not to abuse my neighbours by bad behaviour. It's this abuse of society that the Bible addresses, "I have to allow them to continue sinning until I have to punish them!" and the abuse of children, the increase of perverts etc are only a part of the whole misuse of our freedoms and rights.
Posted by stovies, 17 Apr 2009