Expected Environmental Impacts of Pervasive Computing

ABSTRACT Pervasive Computing will bring about both additional loads on and benefits to the environment. The prevailing assessment of positive and negative effects will depend on how effectively energy and waste policy governs the development of ICT infrastructures and applications in the coming years. Although Pervasive Computing is not expected to change the impact of the technosphere on the environment radically, it may cause additional material and energy consumption due to the production and use of ICT as well as severe pollution risks that may come about as a result of the disposal of electronic waste. These first-order environmental impacts are to be set off against the second-order effects, such as higher eco-efficiency due to the possibility to optimize material and energy intensive processes or to replace them by pure signal processing (dematerialization). The potential environmental benefits from such second-order effects are considerable and can outweigh the first-order effects. But changes in demand for more efficient services (third-order effects) can counterbalance these savings. The experience gained thus far with ICT impacts has shown that such a rebound effect occurs in most cases of technological innovations.

[1]  Marc Langheinrich,et al.  Digitalisierung des Alltags. Was ist Pervasive Computing? 1 , 2003 .

[2]  K. Spasokukotskiy,et al.  Technical base for separated rooms climate automatic control , 2001, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications. IDAACS'2001 (Cat. No.01EX510).

[3]  Nils Frederik Nissen,et al.  Entwicklung eines ökologischen Bewertungsmodells zur Beurteilung elektronischer Systeme , 2001 .

[4]  James H. Aylor,et al.  Computer for the 21st Century , 1999, Computer.

[5]  Michael Rohs,et al.  Social, Economic, and Ethical Implications of Ambient Intelligence and Ubiquitous Computing , 2005, Ambient Intelligence.

[6]  Lorenz M. Hilty,et al.  The future impact of ICT on environmental sustainability , 2004 .

[7]  Alois Huser,et al.  Vernetzung im Haushalt , 2000 .

[8]  Bernd Geiger,et al.  Energieverbrauch in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Die energiewirtschaftlichen Daten , 2002 .

[9]  Wolfgang Eichhammer,et al.  Der Einfluss moderner Gerätegenerationen der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik auf den Energieverbrauch in Deutschland bis zum Jahr 2010 – Möglichkeiten zur Erhöhung der Energieeffizienz und zur Energieeinsparung in diesem Bereichen. , 2003 .

[10]  Simone Kimpeler,et al.  Virtuelle Mobilität: Ein Phänomen mit physischen Konsequenzen? , 2002 .

[11]  P. K. Koner,et al.  Optimization techniques for a photovoltaic water pumping system , 1995 .

[12]  Elgar Fleisch,et al.  Betriebliche Anwendungen mobiler Technologien: Ubiquitous Commerce , 2002 .

[13]  A. Stirling,et al.  Science and precaution in the appraisal of electricity supply options. , 2001, Journal of hazardous materials.

[14]  Simone Du Moulin.  Videokonferenzen als Ersatz oder Ergänzung von Geschäftsreisen: Substitutions- und Komplementäreffekte untersucht bei Unternehmen in der Schweiz , 1997 .

[15]  E. Petersen,et al.  Auswirkungen des Pervasive Computing auf Gesundheit und Umwelt , 2003 .

[16]  Max Åhman.  Primary energy efficiency of alternative powertrains in vehicles , 2002 .

[17]  Christoph Weber,et al.  Mobilfunk und Energiebedarf , 2000 .

[18]  Justus von Geibler,et al.  The environmental impacts of mobile computing : a case study with HP ; final report ; Digital Europe , 2003 .

[19]  Siegfried Behrendt,et al.  Innovationen zur Nachhaltigkeit , 1998 .

[20]  Louis V. Gerstner.  Question time: organizational shake-ups , 2000, UBIQ.

[21]  S.Robert Hastings,et al.  Breaking the “heating barrier”: Learning from the first houses without conventional heating , 2004 .

[22]  Hans-Jürgen Dr. Klüppel,et al.  The Revision of ISO Standards 14040-3 - ISO 14040: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework - ISO 14044: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines , 2005 .

[23]  Uwe Hansmann,et al.  Pervasive Computing , 2003 .

[24]  E. Williams,et al.  The 1.7 kilogram microchip: energy and material use in the production of semiconductor devices. , 2002, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  Lorenz M. Hilty,et al.  Environmental impacts of an international conference , 2002 .