The Environmental History of Computing

Area of Science:

• History of Science and Technology
• Environmental Science
• Sociology of Technology

Background:

• Information technologies have historically been linked to resource management and environmental manipulation.
• The environmental impact of modern information technology, including data centers, is increasingly recognized.
• The "cloud" masks the physical resource demands of digital infrastructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-ground the history of information technology in its material and environmental context.
• To explore the connection between computing power and traditional resource-based industries.
• To analyze the evolution of information technology through the lens of resource extraction, exchange, management, and consumption.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of key information technologies and their societal contexts.
• Examination of the material basis of computing, from early engines to modern data centers.
• Focus on the intersection of technological development and resource-intensive processes.

Main Results:

• Information technology's development is intrinsically tied to resource extraction and environmental control.
• Early computing innovations supported state-building and industrial expansion.
• Modern digital infrastructure has significant, often hidden, environmental costs related to energy and water.

Conclusions:

• Understanding information technology requires acknowledging its material foundations and environmental footprint.
• The history of computing is inseparable from the history of resource use and environmental impact.
• A material perspective is crucial for addressing the environmental challenges posed by contemporary information technologies.