The world is slowly fading away due to our carbon emissions. However, we are gradually fighting back. We are finding new ways to reduce these emissions and improve our current standing. Currently, we are reducing our overall emissions by going digital. It’s a much more convenient and accessible way to do things. Moreover, it produces fewer greenhouse (GHG) emissions when it comes to paper production.
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The Production of Paper
Paper is one of the essential materials we need for daily life. It’s required for education and many business purposes. However, it’s also one of the main reasons the world is suffering today. This is because paper comes from trees, and the more paper we use, the more trees are cut down. The more trees cut down. Fewer trees absorb greenhouse gases from our atmosphere. However, the effects of using paper don’t stop there.
The production of paper also emits greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It’s been estimated that paper production emits one percent of our greenhouse gases annually. That’s equal to about 37 million metric tons of GHG emissions from manufacturing this good alone. Moreover, paper is usually a one-time use making it even a far more expensive material for the environment, but not for us.
This is why more and more entities have started to recycle paper. The recycled paper utilizes various environmentally-friendly chemicals to reduce the used paper into a slurry. This slurry can then be mixed and molded together back into reusable paper. Paper can be recycled four to six times before its fibers become too short to mold. The best part is that people can do this process in the comfort of their homes. It can help reduce people’s overall expenses for office supplies.
Despite the growing number of people utilizing recycled paper, many environmental experts claim that it’s not enough to entirely reduce the millions of GHG emissions that the industry produces every year. The best option is to go digital.
Going Paperless
It was going digital means going paperless. Going paperless means no GHG emissions being produced by the paper industry. This also means more trees that can absorb the GHG in our atmosphere. However, this seems like a faraway future for many of us. But it’s closer than we think.
Going paperless is becoming a goal for many business entities in the US. For example, the Bank of America went paperless many years ago, and it reached commercial success. They did this by letting people fill up the necessary forms they needed in their app. Many people found the process a lot more convenient because they can now get loans and manage their bank accounts in the comfort of their homes.
For other huge companies, like Google and Facebook, going paperless just made more sense. They’re primarily a digital company, so there is no need for papers in the first place.
Tourism
Tourism plays a huge role in the GHG we emit into the atmosphere. It’s estimated that about 8% of our carbon footprint comes from tourism alone. A major contributor to this carbon footprint is transportation.
Millions of GHG gases are emitted when we travel, whether through a personal vehicle or by commercial airlines. All of these contribute to the GHG we produce. The remaining millions of GHG come in the form of lodging. As both of these things become more affordable because of the tourism industry’s need to recover, the higher the carbon footprint of this industry will be. However, we found the solution to this problem during the pandemic, and that solution is virtual tourism.
Virtual Tourism
Virtual tourism is the tourism industry going digital, and it can alleviate the GHG emissions that the industry currently has. Essentially, virtual tourism gives people the ability to visit other countries with the use of VR headsets. People now don’t have to leave their homes to go to France or even Italy. They can now do it digitally.
How to Make Digitalization Better?
Green Energy
Going paperless and doing virtual hangouts might help reduce some of the GHG gases we emit in our world. However, the machines we need to do these things still require energy, and that energy still comes in the form of fossil fuels.
To completely reduce our GHG emissions, we must transition towards green energy. One fundamental renewable energy that’s making a difference in our world today is solar energy. Many solar energy companies are helping people achieve the sustainability they aim to achieve this year, and at a low price. Going digital isn’t going to save our world alone. It will be the combination of renewable energy and digitalization that’ll make a difference.
Digitalization is making it possible for us to emit less GHG than before. However, it’s only through the combination of green energy and digitalization that’s going to save our world.
Meta title: Is Digitalization Going to Save the Earth?
meta desc: Going digital might be one of the best ways to save our planet. Read on and learn what you need to know about digitalization and how it can save the world.
