In the latest of our We Inspire series, Dr Ah-Lian Kor from the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing explains how we can make more sustainable choices through the technology we use every day.
Transcripts
Dee Grismond:
Hello I’m Dee Grismond and today I’m joined in the studio by Dr Ah-Lian Kor, who is a reader at Leeds Beckett University, and teaches on the undergraduate computing courses, as well as our pioneering MSc course in Sustainable IT. She has been involved in many green IT projects with universities in different countries, and her research looks at how making IT green relies on raising awareness and challenging our own energy consumption habits. Welome to the studio Dr Ah-Lian Kor. So Dr Kor, can you tell me why sustainable IT is such a passion of yours?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
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Dee:
So tell me, what are some of the practical steps that I could take as an individual to reduce my carbon footprint through the use of technology?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
Some of the practical steps are; firstly when you come to purchasing. So make sure it has Eco labels. And the second point is that try to use videoconferencing rather than have face to face travel. So this would definitely reduce your carbon footprint. And a third one is to install smart thermostats within your smart home in order to reduce energy consumption within your home as well. And the fourth one is responsible usage of technologies. Make sure, you know apps that are idle apps that are not useful, and apps that run in the background will be disabled.
And also to reduce video streaming from YouTube. Lastly, make sure that when you use social media apps, try to use text audio instead of video.
Dee:
So we have spoken about the individual and what they can do, but how do industries need to change their approach to technologies to be more sustainable?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
In order to be more sustainable, industries should follow the three R's rule. So the first one is reduce. Second, one is reuse. And the third one is recycle. Now, for reuse, you find that, you know, models of IT products and devices do change so quickly. So instead of changing your models, what you could do is that you just upgrade your IT equipment for instance, phones. Yep. So what you could do is just increase the RAM or increase the storage, increase, you know, the memory size and so forth. And for reuse, you find that some people, they do just like new models.
And when new models are out, they'll be out there to buy new models and then put the old models aside. So what could be done is that industries could encourage you know, such customers to trade in their old models. And these old models could be reconditioned or refurbished to be sold again.
And thirdly is recycle. So instead of leaving your models in the attic or just anywhere in the home, so what could be done is that you could just send your old models into a recycling centre, so important components could be recycled for further use.
Dee:
And what projects can students get involved in on your course that focus on sustainable IT?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
So the project that you can be involved in will be our current EMG, MD or Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree called GENIAL. So GENIAL stands for Green Networking and Cloud Computing. Now for GENIAL, you find that the first semester, you know, students would be in University of Lorrain in France and they will study green networking. And for semester two they will be at Leeds Beckett university studying Green ICT and also eco-engineering. And for semester three you find a students will be in Luleå, University of Technology, Sweden, and that’s when students study energy efficient cloud and also green cloud services and for the final master's dissertation, it will be research that's related to sustainable IT.
And you find that you could undertake this research in associate partner countries as well such as Brazil and Dubai and also Canada and other countries.
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Dee:
So now I’m back in the studio with Dr Ah-Lian Kor talking about sustainable IT. So when students have been involved in the Green IT challenge in the past, what sort of work have they produced?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
So for example, we had designed for Green Hackathon. It lasted for 48 hours where students had to form groups and then what they needed to do is to design a green IT projects. And the next one is for BCS in the UK, they organised green IT competitions as well. And this is when students could participate in such competitions. And other kinds of work that students have produced; paper publication that relate to green IT, journal papers or even conference papers.
Dee:
So tell me, how does your research into sustainable IT feed into the courses you teach?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor
Our Leeds Beckett University MSc IT masters deliver modules that are related to sustainable IT.
So the first one is eco-engineering. So for eco-engineering, students would have to you know, design sustainable products, and also calculate the carbon or even the ecological footprint for the products designed. And for ICT and environment, you find that students would have to apply lifecycle accounting methodologies and use tools to conduct the environmental impact of ICT. And after collecting data, students would have to analyse the data and then to present their findings in the form of a report, and also to provide a list of recommendations.
Dee:
And how will your research benefit the students on your course?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor
The benefit that you would have as a student is that you would definitely be more aware of, you know, the environmental impact of ICT, and definitely you would be more environmentally conscious as well. And through these modules you find that you would be equipped with Green ICT skills and this would be useful for you in future when you work as a software developer or software engineer, or systems developer or even solution architect and so on, so forth.
Dee:
So Dr Kor, can you tell me, how will your students use what they learn about sustainable IT on your course, when they go onto have a career as an IT professional?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
Sustainable IT has got two concepts. So the first one is green IT. So green IT is IT with eco-labels such as Energy Star Label, that is a symbol of energy efficiency. And the second one is on greening by IT. It is using IT to green processes or operations. What you have learnt is also green ICT skills and this will help you to be a green IT solution architect, or green software developer, or green software engineer, or green systems developer, or engineer.
Dee:
And finally, can you tell me about the kind of roles that students apply for once they have graduated from one of your courses?
Dr Ah-Lian Kor:
After graduating from one of my courses, you could be a green IT champion in your company, for the IT department, or you could be green computing professional or green IT professional and even green IT solution architect, green IT technology manager, and so and so forth.
Dee:
Thank your for joining me today in the studio Dr Ah-Lian Kor, that was a really interesting insight into sustainable IT, and how the industry needs to change to become more sustainable. Thank you once again.
