Did you know that the internet and mobile phone usage have a carbon footprint?
When most people think about emissions, images of vast industrial parks with giant smokestacks pouring out pollutants or vast highways filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic come to mind.
But the sad reality is that everything we buy and do has an eco-cost.
That’s why Green VPN is emerging as an eco-alternative. This new eco-friendly virtual private network provides the same security while taking responsibility for emissions generated.
Current carbon footprint of the internet
The internet is powered by energy, and in many cases around the world, that energy is generated by burning fossil fuels. Although the U.S. and many European countries have regulations in place for electricity generation (concerning the pollutants that are emitted), unfortunately, most coal or gas-burning power generators are unregulated.
These necessary power generation stations not only produce high levels of carbon emissions, they also release other dangerous greenhouse gases as a byproduct.
In fact, studies suggest that the current carbon footprint of the internet is 1.6 billion tons of emissions every year.
How eco-friendly VPNs can help
Despite the many different VPNs available, there aren’t any that follow sustainable practices.
The Green VPN concept is designed to change that and eliminate the carbon footprint of users’ internet activity, whether it involves website surfing, checking emails, watching videos, or simply looking at social media.
A virtual private network (VPN) uses real-time encryption protocols to hide your computer’s IP address (where you’re located). It’s specifically configured to be operated by a host, which prevents your internet service provider and other tracking software from accessing your information and searches.
The benefits of using a VPN include:
Enhanced data security and constant encryption
Geo-data location blocking
Ability to access regional information (some countries prevent users from other countries from accessing certain web information)
Safe data transfers
Since your IP address and information is hidden when using a VPN, you can safely share sensitive data online without unknown back doors being created or hidden software tracking tools being used against you.
Any activity conducted on the Green VPN will have a net zero carbon footprint.
The process is simple to understand.
1. Your internet usage is measured.
2. Green VPN plants trees to offset the carbon footprint of the energy used using reforestation programs offered by trusted planting organizations.
Using reforestation to erase emissions
Forests are not just nature’s carbon sink (grabbing carbon emissions from the atmosphere and keeping it), they also play a key role in the earth’s water cycle.
Respiration of plants releases fresh water into the air, which some scientists have actually called “rivers in the air.” These atmospheric rivers transport water vapor from tropical regions to other parts of the planet where the ‘land’ in the form of rain and other precipitation.
But, when those rivers are impacted by deforestation, the resulting consequences change weather patterns.