Your Netflix habit has a carbon footprint, but the show can go on

 An industry-backed study shows one environmental impact of streaming is smaller than some estimates in the past.

Streaming your favorite hourlong television show is the environmental equivalent of boiling a kettle for six minutes or popping four bags of popcorn in the microwave, according to an industry-backed study from climate group Carbon Trust.
The findings are encouraging to researchers -- and good news for streamers such as Netflix Inc., which helped fund the work -- because they show the carbon footprint of streaming is smaller than some estimates in the past showed. Further, the study revealed ways in which entertainment companies can cut the emissions their products generate.

Like most industries, the film and television business is on a mad dash to cut carbon dioxide output, hoping to help mitigate the worst effects of climate change. While streaming a show has less of an impact on the environment than, say, the production of a new movie, companies are looking for any way they can to improve sustainability.

“There was a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about the carbon impact of video streaming,” said Andie Stephens, lead author of the white paper and associate director at the Carbon Trust. “We, therefore, wanted to put this into perspective, and help to increase the knowledge and understanding of the impact of video streaming.”

The research found an hour of streaming emits the equivalent of about 55 grams of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, based on a user in Europe. About half the emissions come from the device used itself, with larger and older technology harming the environment the most. The remaining emissions come from data centers, the centralized hubs where internet information is processed and stored, and various distribution networks.