Author: Tyler

While basking under sunlit skies, bright, smattered spots of blue

—Amidst the verdant canopies of vibrant, emerald green—

All sway and dance before my eyes, competitors in hue

As if the fervent, flowing breeze inspires brighter sheen.

 

And further still, as wind and warmth collide in harmony I find

A rhythm in the birdsong, in the rustling of the leaves,

While shifting songs of sun and shade reply, their melody inclined

To lead in lilting life a soul in dissonance to peace.

 

Yet even as my eyes fall shut, such artistry shall vanish,

A roar, a cut, a crash, a blinding light shall beauty banish,

The canvas torn and symphony cut short.

 

This poetry centers on the issue of deforestation, and the damage it can cause to natural habitats. In the work, I endeavor to describe the peace, beauty, and tranquility than can be experienced in nature, only to be pulled out by the jarring reality of this world being destroyed through deforestation, in particular the logging industry. According to worldwildlife.org, illegal logging practices comprise somewhere between 8-10% of production, and even make up between 40-50% of logging in some of the most valued and significant forests around the globe. While there are many timber methods that are sustainable, this is not the entirety of the industry—many of these harmful practices encroach on natural territory further and further still, lessening resources and asking too much too quickly of the earth. While such statistics cannot fit into this poetry with the same sort of flow, it endeavors to impress upon readers the impact that these practices have on a more personal level. I make no argument that the wood industry needs to be halted in its entirety, however I do believe that more work needs to be done to prevent illegal practices that destroy natural forests containing wonders and beauty as I have endeavored to describe.

How do we think about sustainability in our daily lives? It can be easy to consider the concept as one that’s entirely big-picture or out of our hands, or some kind of box to check so long as we recycle and watch how much of this or that we consume and produce, when in reality, there’s a great deal more to uncover. We can take steps towards environmentally-conscious lifestyles here and now—even if that comes in some unorthodox forms.

Video games are a rather common pastime nowadays, having grown in popularity since their rise to fame in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Starting from computer programs, moving to arcade cabinets, and settling today in the comfort of one’s own home, virtual entertainment has expanded to an empire—but as it increases in popularity, one can also find greater and greater increases in environmental effects. New consoles, new games, even new accessories often require a number of plastics and/or mined materials to be produced on the kind of global scale required to meet demands. These products often require specific methods to be disposed of properly, such as dedicated electronics recycling boxes one might find scattered around the US, but the effectiveness of these boxes can be iffy. After all, sometimes it just seems simpler to throw things in the garbage and forget about it.

The materials themselves aren’t the only environmental issue present in video games, either. Energy consumption plays a major role in this industry, an unsurprising fact given its technological nature. The energy consumed through gaming has been documented at levels as high as 34 terawatt-hours a year in 2020 (which is around $5 billion in energy expenditures!) Thankfully, some of the big names in gaming, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, are stepping up to the plate. All three have made statements, and some actions, toward a lessened, negated, or even negative footprint within upcoming years. Within households, this will hopefully take the form of more energy-efficient consoles, keeping consumption low without sacrificing the quality they aim to produce.

All of this is still big talk, though—what does that have to do with us? While we may not have as big a hand in helping or hindering as these companies do, there are still actions we can take, as well as information we can keep in mind, to contribute to environmentally-friendly gaming.

It’s important to note that gaming consoles are, in most cases, machines that operate via direct connection to a power outlet of some kind. In the same way that you can be conscious of keeping the lights on in an unoccupied room or making sure various appliances are unplugged, be sure to fully disconnect any devices that aren’t in use—while power buttons can switch consoles into a low-power or “sleep” mode, they still consume energy.

While it may depend on how many games you play, another factor to consider is game storage. The discs, chips, manuals, cases, and more that make up even just one game start to add up over time, and while avoiding them in favor of digital storage can be a smart move in terms of physical waste, it also adds to energy usage by the servers that store that data. If you’re the type of gamer who collects a lot of storage-heavy games—if you need to purchase more than your console comes with, for example—than maybe consider investing in physical storage cards. There are a number of options available for this, all of which are adept at holding multiple digital versions of games without the need for external servers.

While the digital world seems divorced from that of the real, physical place we all call home, they regardless affect one another as industries and awareness continue to grow. If you play as many games as I do, I hope that this has opened your eyes to that connection.

Sources:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40869-019-00084-2

https://dundle.com/magazine/en/sustainability-video-games-how-green-is-next-gen-gaming/

https://earth.org/sustainability-and-the-video-gaming-industry/

https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-life/video-games-encourage-sustainable-behaviour/