Term Paper on "Effect of Information and Communication Technologies on Environmental Sustainability"

Term Paper 17 pages (4784 words) Sources: 18

[EXCERPT] . . . .

sky may not be actually falling, but environmentalists are sounding the clarion call that the earth is in big trouble and action needs to be taken now to avoid potentially disastrous consequences in the future. In fact, global warming, air and water pollution as well as a host of toxic emission are threatening the environment in ways that demand effective alternatives to business as usual. Fortunately, there is a wide range of information and communication technology tools are available to help implement and administer environmentally sustainable programs that can help address these issues. In addition, these information and communication technology tools can help improve the effectiveness of existing programs in ways that have not been possible in the past. To accomplish these goals, though, requires a thoughtful and careful analysis of how to use these information and communication technology tools appropriately, which is the focus of this study. The purpose of this study was to assess how information and communications technologies have been used in the past to promote environmentally sustainable solutions, and to identify obstacles, challenges and constraints that have affected these initiatives. A final purpose of the study was to determine how information and communications technology has been used to accomplish these goals. To achieve these research goals, this study reviewed the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning environmental sustainability and how information and communications technology can be used to make these efforts more effective and efficient. A summary of the research and important findings that emerged are presented in the study's conclusion.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of the Study

Importance of the Study

Chapter Two: Review of the Relevant Literature

Overview of Environmental Sustainability

Applying ICT to Environmentally Sustainable Initiatives

The Environmental Impact of ICT

Chapter Three: Summary and Conclusion

Effect of Information and Communication Technologies on Environmental Sustainability

Chapter One: Introduction

Environmental sustainability has become a focus of individuals, organizations, and government agencies across the globe. Because information and communications technology (ICT) has quickly become a major factor in the working and personal lives of the majority of people worldwide, it is logical to conclude that ICT can play a major role in furthering environmentally sustainable conservation efforts. Unfortunately, the production, use and disposal of technology equipment, what has been termed "e-waste," also have a profound environmental impact that must be taken into account in developing informed solutions to the world's environments problems. Fortunately, the increasing awareness of the impact humans have on the Earth and its resources has created a worldwide movement toward environmental sustainability. With the prevalence of technology, it is understandable that green it and green computing practices are being actively researched, a trend that also represents the purpose of this study which is discussed further below.

Statement of the Problem

Given recent trends in the explosive growth of ICT, it is important to identify ways these technologies can be used to good effect to promote environmentally sustainable initiatives that are desperately needed during an era where global warming, toxic emissions and a rapidly growing global populations are major concerns.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to determine what has been accomplished in recent years with regards to the use of ICT to promote environmentally sustainable solutions, as well as what obstacles, challenges and constraints have been involved in these initiatives, and how ICT has been used to achieve these goals. To this end, this study reviews the juried and scholarly literature, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Importance of the Study

There are a number of important reasons to investigate the role of information and communications technology in promoting environmentally sustainable solutions. For instance, according to Fichter (2002), "Until now, positive environmental consequences of [ICT] have generally been coincidental" (p. 25). Furthermore, the federal government has mandated that government agencies identify effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (FedCenter.gov), an initiative that is highly amenable to the use of ICT. Moreover, there are software companies that provide the environmental sustainability software for the government entities and private organizations which helps to lower energy costs and generate higher savings from carbon reduction projects, as well help to easily execute the federal mandate. In spite of these positive trends, there remains some debate concerning the degree to which ICT can promote environmental sustainability with the research to date suggesting that there some significant negative aspects involved that require further investigation (Erdmann, Hilty, Goodman and Arnfalk, 2004), a need that this study sought to address.

Chapter Two: Review of the Relevant Literature

Overview of Environmental Sustainability

In order to identify viable methods of using information and communications technology to promote environmentally sustainable solutions, it is important to determine what environmentally sustainability means. In this regard, Vucetich and Nelson (2010) advise, "Progress in understanding and achieving sustainability requires addressing it as both a scientific and an ethical issue" (p. 538). Indeed, something can be "sustainable," particularly in the short-term, without being responsible to the long-term needs of humankind. According to Vucetich and Nelson, though, many definitions of environmentally sustainable are charged with nebulosity, making a precise understanding difficult. For instance, some definitions of sustainability involve concepts such as the ability to provide humans what they need to live in a meaningful way without significantly degrading the environment, but such definitions introduce several additional areas that demand definition. It is reasonable to suggest that beyond the basic Maslow-type need such as food, water, air, clothing and shelter, an entire constellation of needs exists depending on the context in which people live. Depending on the context and definitions of sustainability, then, exploiting the environment to provide humans what they actually need to live today will ultimately involve either ensuring or degrading the ability of future generations to attain what they need to enjoy meaningful lives (Vucetich & Nelson, 2010).

The key word involved is "exploit," suggesting that truly environmental sustainability must avoid exploitation in favor of responsible use. While this may appear to be a fine line (and it is), Keong (2005) notes that there are two dimensions of environmental sustainability that play a role in whether something is "used" or "exploited." The first dimension of environmental sustainability is ecological sustainability and the second is environmental quality. "Ecological sustainability," Keong notes, "relates specifically to the resilience of an ecosystem. Resilience is defined as the ability of an ecosystem to absorb or adapt to shocks and stresses when disturbed and to reconfigure itself without significant decline in its crucial functions in relation to the social and ecological systems" (p. 124). Resiliency, then, is a measure of the "integrity" or "healthiness" of a given ecosystem (Keong, 2005). In what Keong describes as an emerging "techno-economic paradigm," ICT is playing an increasingly vital role as a means of facilitating a wide range of activities that have a bearing on the environment. According to Keong, "The techno-economic paradigm is a combination of interrelated product and process, technical, organizational, managerial, and institutional innovations that provoke transformations in a much wider range of industries, services, and the economy as a whole" (2005, p. 124). In this context, this emerging framework stands to introduce ICT-based innovations that can facilitate business transactions, reduce the carbon footprints of business activities and monitor these effects in ways that have not been possible in the past (Keong, 2005).

Information and Communications Technology

The past 50 years or so have witnessed the introduction of computer-based technologies, including the Internet, that have changed the manner in which consumers, businesses and governments at all levels operate. Indeed, there is scarcely any aspect of modern life that has not been fundamentally affected by the introduction of information and communications technology, even if these effects are not readily discernible and an entire information infrastructure has been developed that drives an increasingly globalized economy (Harrison, Wheeler & Whitehead, 2003). n support of this assertion, Harrison and his colleagues cite the following examples of the ubiquity of ICT in the 21st century:

1. Digital terrestrial television, digital cable and satellite television offering broadband interactive services in the home;

2. Information and communications technologies are being taught alongside traditional subjects in schools;

3. The increasing use of mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs);

4. The use of personal computers at home for education and entertainment purposes; and,

5. The increasing use of e-mail and the use of the internet and mobile communications for business transactions (e-commerce and m-commerce)" (p. 82).

What makes these trends remarkable is the rapidity with which they have been adopted and embraced by consumers, businesses and governments alike. In this regard, recent trends in the evolution of ICT are illustrated in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. ICT evolution 1990-2010

Source: Harrison et al., 2003, p. 82

As can be seen from Figure 1 above, the evolution of ICT to its current state has only required three decades or so, and the pace of innovations continues to increase as computer processing speeds… READ MORE

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