3 days ago
This country's government is urging people to delete old photos to avoid drought: Here's why
Should you ever delete a photo to save water? Sounds odd. Yet a real government advisory in the UK suggested exactly that during a dry summer. It sparked jokes online, but also a fair question for all of us who live in the cloud. Your photos sit in buzzing server halls that need cooling. In a drought, even the cloud's hidden water use is in focus.(Unsplash)
Why the cloud shows up in a drought
Most of our pictures and emails sit in data centres. These are giant buildings full of servers that run hot. Cooling them safely needs a lot of water in many sites. Independent studies have tried to quantify this. Research from Oxford-linked academics estimates that a modest 1 megawatt facility can use tens of millions of litres of water each year for cooling alone. Utilities figures and company disclosures show the picture varies by region. Some operators now use recycled or non potable water. Others are switching to air or evaporative cooling depending on local rules and weather.
Big tech is under pressure to shrink this footprint. Google has trialled recycled wastewater for cooling in places like Douglas County in Georgia. Microsoft tested an underwater data centre to tap ambient cooling. Cloud firms also publish metrics such as water usage effectiveness to show progress. The overall trend is clear. Our digital lives have a physical cost. As AI use grows, compute demand rises, so power and cooling needs can rise too unless designs change.
So does deleting photos help?
For an individual, deleting a few holiday albums does not refill a reservoir. At scale, data hygiene can still matter. Less storage used can reduce the need for extra racks and cooling in the long run. The more immediate wins are practical. Fix leaks at home. Take shorter showers. Delay washing cars. Those save more water today. If you still want to tidy your digital life, look for cloud providers that disclose water and energy metrics, and that prioritise recycled water where local supply is tight.
In short, the UK tip was clumsy, not baseless. It tried to connect daily habits with hidden costs. If you are a photographer or creator sitting on terabytes, curating duplicates and rejects is good practice anyway. For everyone else, balance the message. Keep your memories. Be mindful of where you store them. And push providers to build in ways that use less fresh water as heatwaves get more common.
