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[ SYSTEM_REFLECTION // ENVIRONMENTAL_AWARENESS ]

I’ll be honest: I never thought about the internet’s carbon footprint until recently.

Like most people, I imagined “the cloud” as something… well, cloud-like. Ethereal. Weightless. When I sent data somewhere, I pictured it floating off into the digital ether, not burning fossil fuels.

Turns out, I was wrong.

The Internet Has a Carbon Footprint?

Here’s what I learned:

The internet is responsible for ~4% of global CO₂ emissions. That’s roughly the same as the entire aviation industry. Every time someone loads a website, streams a video, or stores a file, energy is consumed — and usually, carbon is emitted.

Some numbers that stuck with me:

• Average website: ~2.5g CO₂ per page view
• Heavy website: ~5g+ CO₂ per page view
• Lightweight website: ~0.3g CO₂ per page view

Multiply that by billions of daily visitors across the web, and suddenly those grams add up to millions of tons of CO₂ annually.

Why This Made Me Think

When I built Anjung Sepi, I had aesthetic goals:

• Terminal-style design
• Fast loading
• Minimal distractions
• Privacy-focused (no tracking scripts)

I didn’t realize these choices also made the blog environmentally friendly. But I also realized I could do more.

Small Changes I’m Making

I’m not claiming to be an expert. I’m just someone trying to make slightly better choices. Here’s what I’ve done:

1. Optimized Images

Instead of uploading full-size PNGs, I now convert images to WebP or AVIF formats. Same quality, ~80% smaller file size.

2. Static Site Generation

This blog is pre-built (Astro), not dynamically generated. No server processing per request = less energy per visit.

3. No Tracking Scripts

No Google Analytics, no Facebook Pixel, no third-party cookies. Your visit stays between us — and no extra data transfers.

4. Minimal Design

This isn’t a 10MB single-page app with 50 JavaScript libraries. It’s HTML, CSS, and nothing more. Lightweight by default.

5. Dark Theme

On OLED screens (most modern phones), dark pixels use less power than bright ones. Small thing, but it adds up.

What You Can Do (If You Want)

I’m not preaching. But if you’re curious about reducing your website’s footprint, here are some gentle suggestions:

Change	Impact	Difficulty
Optimize images	High	Easy
Remove unused scripts	High	Easy
Use static hosting	Medium	Medium
Reduce custom fonts	Medium	Easy
Enable compression	Medium	Easy
Choose green hosting	High	Easy

Tools I found helpful:

• WebsiteCarbon.com — Calculate your site’s CO₂
• Green Web Foundation — Check if hosting is green
• WebPageTest.org — Performance audit

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about carbon. It’s about intentionality.

The modern web has become bloated — heavy images, endless scripts, constant tracking. We’ve normalized websites that take 10 seconds to load and drain your battery.

I want something different. A web that’s:

• Fast (loads in milliseconds)
• Light (minimal data transfer)
• Private (no surveillance)
• Sustainable (doesn’t burn the planet)

Anjung Sepi is my small attempt at that. It’s not perfect. But it’s a start.

Still Learning

I don’t have all the answers. I’m still figuring out:

• How to offset hosting emissions
• Whether my image optimization is good enough
• If there are better tools I’m missing

But I’m trying. And maybe that’s the point.

If you build things for the web, I invite you to think about the footprint you leave. Not out of guilt — out of care. For the people who visit your site. For the planet that hosts us all.

[ END_OF_TRANSMISSION // THINK_GREEN ]

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Want to check your website’s carbon footprint? Visit WebsiteCarbon.com — it takes 10 seconds and might surprise you.