It is at the manufacturing stage, naturally enough, that a PC most consumes natural resources. Hence, extending the life of the equipment is easily the best method of reducing the impact on the environment of computer production. Better to manufacture a new RAM module for the user to upgrade his PC than to compel that user to acquire a new computer.
Energy -saving measures extend to the devising of algorithms that use up fewer computer resources. Put simply, algorithms play an important role in program optimization, which, in turn, concerns itself with keeping computing efficient. Where this really impacts on the environment is by deploying less electrical power. This is where programmers play a vital part. When they write code they are in a position to make decisions about the algorithms to use. The software’s efficiency depends above all on the designer’s choice of algorithm.
