"How Sustainable is Big Data?"

by Corbett, Charles J (2018)

Abstract

The rapid growth of ?big data? provides tremendous opportunities for making better decisions, where ?better? can be defined using any combination of economic, environmental, or social metrics. This essay provides a few examples of how the use of big data can precipitate more sustainable decision-making. However, as with any technology, the use of big data on a large scale will have some undesirable consequences. Some of these are foreseeable, while others are entirely unpredictable. This essay highlights some of the sustainability-related challenges posed by the use of big data. It does not intend to suggest that the advent of big data is an undesirable development. However, it is not too early to start asking what the unwanted repercussions of the big data revolution might be.

Key Passage

One could argue that, in its earliest days, the fossil fuel revolution was mostly beneficial and relatively harmless. Its disastrous side effects were the result of the sheer breadth and depth of the penetration of fossil fuel-based products into every aspect of human life. Moreover, the collateral inertia associated with the vast investments made over the years have created the pronounced path dependency that has  caused so much difficulty as we try to migrate away from fossil fuels. We are now making important decisions about big data—decisions about issues such as technology platforms, governance mechanisms, ownership structures, and access rights. All these decisions could have pivotal implications for what options will be available to us later, when the costs of big data start coming into focus. In order to ensure we use big data in a sustainable way, we must always be on the alert for potential repercussions, even repercussions that seem far-fetched to us now. The big data revolution has opened a vast uncharted frontier, and we must not only explore this frontier with enthusiasm, but also with caution. (p.1692)

Keywords

Environment, Environmentalisn, Green, Big Data, Data, Data Storage, Externalities

Themes

Ecology

Links to Reference

• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/poms.12837
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/poms.12837
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/poms.12837?casa_token=5B7BSyR7VroAAAAA:svHaVzuktML_S2AP-NaKXPQpKfLx3XQTbxiO396s65O8buPORIN3COcW-hkkPTzBJUDD5pwztUGrPHo
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/poms.12837?casa_token=McM1BxaXEeUAAAAA:MTLlCPIz1sSJHM27Vwm1KSHAsswcUSCZ0y8ZeX-e8jVJE8F2fsT7GxnbG8lEDlk82yoL90NRNUh0CUo

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