Your online binge-watching is hurting the planet

The after-effects of online streaming
Movie nights once required driving to the local video store to rent, rewind and return the latest blockbuster. Now on-demand video content providers offer countless binge-worthy options at the touch of a finger. But experts say the ease of streaming services comes with a hefty environmental price tag.

How much are you contributing?
Watching a half-hour show would lead to emissions of 1.6kg of CO2 equivalent, said Maxime Efoui-Hess of French think tank the Shift Project. That’s equivalent to driving 6.28km. Last year, online video streaming produced emissions equivalent to Spain and that amount may double in the next six years, according to the Shift Project.