Green

This website's environmental footprint matters to me. The internet isn't virtual, it runs on physical servers, consumes electricity, and has a real impact on our planet. Here's how I'm working to minimize that impact and the actual measured emissions from this site.

"The internet is the largest coal-fired machine on the planet." —Green Web Foundation

Carbon Footprint

This website produces 0.10g of CO₂ every time someone visits this page. That's cleaner than 81% of all web pages globally.

Over a year with 10,000 monthly page views, this site produces 12.49kg of CO₂ equivalent, around the same amount that one tree absorbs in a year.

What This Means

  • Energy usage: 25 kWh annually (enough to drive an electric car 162km)
  • Tea analogy: As much CO₂ as boiling water for 1,692 cups of tea
  • Phone charges: Equivalent to 2,107 full charges of an average smartphone

How I Keep It Light

Performance First

  • Static site: No database, no server-side processing—just pre-built files
  • Minimal JavaScript: Only essential scripts, no tracking or analytics
  • Optimized images: Lazy loading, proper formats, compression
  • Clean code: Semantic HTML, efficient CSS, no frameworks or bloat

Hosting & Infrastructure

  • Netlify: Carbon-neutral hosting provider
  • CDN delivery: Content served from nearest locations
  • Automatic optimization: Asset minification and compression

The Bigger Picture

Why Web Sustainability Matters

The internet accounts for about 4% of global greenhouse emissions, which is more than the entire aviation industry. Every byte transferred, every image loaded, every script executed consumes energy. We have a responsibility to build lighter, more efficient digital experiences.

The Cost of "Free"

Many "free" services come with environmental costs:

  • Endless scrolling = endless data transfer
  • Auto-playing video = massive energy use
  • Tracking scripts = unnecessary requests
  • Bloated frameworks = larger downloads

Sustainable Web Principles

I follow these guidelines in my work:

  1. Design for need—not for engagement metrics
  2. Optimize everything—images, fonts, code, content
  3. Measure impact—know your carbon footprint
  4. Choose green hosting—renewable energy matters
  5. Educate others—share what you learn

Room for Improvement

This site is far from perfect. Here's what I'm working on:

  • Font optimization: Reducing custom font file sizes
  • Image compression: Finding the sweet spot between quality and size
  • CSS cleanup: Removing unused styles and rules
  • Carbon offset: Exploring ways to offset remaining emissions

Resources for Greener Web

If you're interested in making your own website more sustainable:

A Note on Trade-offs

Sometimes sustainability conflicts with other values. I prioritize accessibility over absolute minimalism, because the web should work for everyone. I choose semantic HTML over fewer bytes.

My goal is conscious impact and making deliberate choices about what matters and what doesn't.

Last measured: January 2026. Carbon emissions are calculated by Website Carbon based on data transfer, energy source, and website efficiency.

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