[ECO]Entrepreneur Gabriel D’Alton and His Nonprofit Promoting Sustainability Digitally

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Entrepreneur Gabriel D’Alton and his nonprofit promoting sustainability digitally

My journey to promote digital sustainability began in an unexpected way, and it’s a path that can benefit anyone concerned about our planet. As a young entrepreneur in Vancouver, Canada, I have loved sustainability and technology since I began coding at the age of 11. Soon after, I discovered a way to combine these passions when I learned about the internet’s large environmental impact. This new knowledge led to the creation of Oasis of Change in 2023, a not-for-profit organization aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the internet.

Understanding the Internet’s Environmental Impact

The internet is a big part of our lives, but it also has a large

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. Running data centres, transmitting data, and keeping websites online use a lot of energy. In 2020, data centres used about 200 terawatt-hours of electricity, almost 1% of the world’s total. The IT sector’s carbon footprint is similar to the aviation industry’s, contributing about 2% of global CO2 emissions. These numbers show that we need to adopt sustainable practices in the digital world.

How Websites Contribute to CO2 Emissions

As a crucial part of the internet infrastructure, websites play a significant role in this environmental impact. Data is transmitted from servers to users’ devices whenever a website is accessed. These servers, housed in data centres, require substantial electricity to operate and cool. According to some estimates, the average website produces about 1.76 grams of CO2 for every page view. For a site with 10,000 monthly page views, that’s 21.12 kilograms of CO2 per month. Large, heavily trafficked websites can produce tons of CO2 annually. This energy consumption contributes directly to carbon emissions, especially if the electricity is generated from non-renewable sources.

Our Core Mission and Values

At

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, we are driven by the mission of promoting digital sustainability. Our main initiative, the Web-Ready program, focuses on developing websites that are as environmentally friendly as they are innovative. A portion of the funds generated from Web-Ready supports our environmental partners, Tree-Nation and Plastic Bank, allowing us to contribute to tree planting and plastic reduction efforts globally. Our work has already had tangible impacts: over 8,000 trees have been planted in 30+ countries, and more than 6,700 plastic bottles have been prevented from polluting the oceans.

Web-Ready: Creating Sustainable Websites

Here’s how we make our websites more environmentally friendly:

1. Optimizing Images: High-resolution images can slow down website performance and increase energy consumption. By optimizing images for the web, we reduce file sizes without compromising quality, leading to faster load times and less energy usage.

2. Using Tailwind CSS: Tailwind CSS, a utility-first CSS framework, enhances efficiency and performance. It reduces unused CSS and focuses on utility classes, resulting in leaner, faster-loading websites.

3. Green Hosting with AWS: We host our websites on
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   Web Services (AWS), benefiting from their commitment to sustainability. AWS aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, helping us develop websites with a lower carbon footprint.

4. Efficient Coding Practices: Writing clean, efficient code is crucial for reducing a website’s energy demands. Following best coding practices minimises the computational power needed to run our websites.

5. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing the distance data must travel and the energy required to deliver content to users. This results in faster load times and lower energy consumption.

Collaboration as a Pathway to Change

We know that meaningful change can’t happen alone. That’s why collaboration is at the core of what we do. Oasis of Change works with businesses, non-profits, and web development agencies to increase our impact. Every partnership is a chance to promote sustainable practices and inspire others to think about their environmental footprint.

Challenges and Rewards

Integrating sustainability into the digital world comes with challenges. A major obstacle is the reluctance to change existing practices and the initial costs of adopting green technologies. However, the environmental and economic benefits far outweigh these challenges. By leading the way with eco-friendly solutions, we protect the planet and create a more sustainable business model that others can follow.

Looking Forward

As we look to the future, we plan to expand our reach and deepen our impact by exploring new technologies that further reduce website energy consumption and planning more extensive collaborations across different sectors.

To other young entrepreneurs and businesses, I invite you to join us in this vital work, whether through adopting sustainable practices in your operations or supporting environmental initiatives. Every action counts toward building a healthier planet.

Conclusion

Starting Oasis of Change has been one of my life’s most challenging yet rewarding experiences. It has transformed from a simple idea into a movement that drives positive change in the digital and environmental landscapes. As we continue to grow and evolve, our core mission ******** the same: to make the digital world a sustainable space for all.

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