Saving the planet with AWS: What you can do as a Cloud Architect

I ran a poll on LinkedIn to understand climate change awareness within our community, and the results showed that at least 50% of participants actually had an idea of what it's all about and may be conscious of the threat. This is very good, and what I want to do with this post is to amplify that awareness in our community.

Climate Change is real , and there's no doubt about that. However, if you haven't been alarmed by this issue before, let's discuss what climate change really means. According to the United Nations, climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts can occur naturally, due to changes in the sun's activity or large volcanic eruptions. However, since the 1800s, human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, have become the main drivers of climate change.

Here are a few key points to consider:

The Earth's average surface temperature is now 1.2°C warmer. Scientists believe that 1.5°C is the maximum temperature increase we can tolerate without significantly impacting our current livable conditions.
By the end of this century, a projected increase of 3.0°C could have lasting impacts on the way we live.

Impact for climate change when temperature increased:

Within 2°C (1.5-2°C):

• Health impacts include increased mortality and moderate risks from diseases like malaria.
• Ecosystem shifts affect up to 20% of global areas.
• Agriculture may see mixed impacts, with some regions benefiting initially.
• Water stress affects millions, particularly in already vulnerable regions.
• Major events like significant sea level rise become increasingly plausible.

2°C to 2.5°C (2-2.5°C):

• Health risks escalate, with the potential for significant increases in mortality and higher disease prevalence.
• Ecosystems face substantial shifts, impacting over 20% of global areas.
• Agriculture experiences declines in productivity, leading to food security challenges.
• Water scarcity severely impacts billions in water-stressed regions.
• Major events such as catastrophic sea level rise and extreme weather events become more likely.

2.5 to 3°C (2.5°C - 3°C):

• Severe health impacts include widespread mortality and outbreaks of diseases.
• Ecosystems undergo drastic shifts, potentially exceeding 20% of global areas.
• Agriculture sees widespread declines, doubling food deficit risks in many developing regions.
• Water stress intensifies, affecting billions globally.
• Major catastrophic events, including extreme sea level rise and system shutdowns, become highly probable.

A World Health Organization research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change, which is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone between 2030 and 2050

Now that you are aware of the potential impact of climate change, let's understand how humans are contributing to the climate change:

• Burning Fossil Fuels: When we use oil, gas, and coal for energy, they release gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the planet.
• Cutting Down Trees: Removing forests for farming or building reduces the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide, which can increase global warming.
• Factories and Industries: Manufacturing and industrial activities release gases and pollutants that contribute to climate change.
• Driving and Traveling: Cars, trucks, planes, and ships burn fuels that release carbon dioxide and other gases, contributing to climate change.

In the IT industry, running servers and workloads requires energy, much of which still comes from burning fossil fuels. When developing and deploying systems into production, the compute workloads contribute to our impact on climate change.

Few data points related to ICT contribution

• 6% of global energy demand comes from Information and Communication Technology (ICT), including data centers, communication networks, and user devices.
• Data centers, which power our tech industry, account for 3% of global energy demand.

Okay, so perhaps we in the IT industry aren't single-handedly destroying the planet, but we do bear some responsibility for it.

What is AWS is doing to slow down climate change?

AWS is doing its part by building sustainable infrastructure to power its cloud operations. When you look at the numbers:

• 4.1x - AWS infrastructure is up to 4.1 times more energy-efficient than on-premises setups and can reduce workload carbon footprint by up to 99%.
• 3.9 billion - Liters of water are returned to communities each year from replenishment projects completed or underway.
• 90% - In 2022, 90% of the electricity consumed by Amazon was sourced from renewable energy.

Finally,

Net-zero - AWS aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040 through investments in carbon-free energy and scaling solutions. Net-zero refers to the balance achieved when the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is equal to the amount removed, resulting in no net increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas levels.

Now that we understand climate change, its impact, and its causes, let's explore what AWS cloud architects can do to control it from our end.

Things you can do to save the planet as an AWS Cloud Architect

• Go serverless. It's the best way to help the cause. There's no need to have dedicated compute; it's one of the best ways to reduce energy usage. Wherever possible, implement serverless architectures. Design applications using AWS Lambda and serverless technologies to automatically scale resources with demand, minimizing idle capacity and energy waste. It's about running code only when needed to optimize energy consumption efficiently.

• Don't overprovision capacity. While you pay more, it doesn't help the cause. Use AWS Auto Scaling: Configure AWS Auto Scaling to dynamically adjust EC2 instances or containers based on workload fluctuations, optimizing energy consumption.

• Choose data center locations wisely. While it's challenging, some data center locations may be greener than others. Choose data center locations with renewable energy: Select AWS Regions and Availability Zones prioritizing renewable energy to minimize the carbon footprint of cloud operations.

• Build optimal architectures by following the AWS Well-Architected Framework Adhere to best practices for designing efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable cloud architectures to minimize environmental impact.

• Deploy managed databases. Implement managed databases such as Aurora to automatically adjust database capacity based on application demand, optimizing resource usage and reducing energy consumption.

• Use AWS managed services where possible. It's one of the best ways to save excessive energy use. With managed services, you're using services provided by AWS, automating routine tasks such as patching, monitoring, and backups, reducing operational overhead and promoting efficiency.

• Find ways to use EC2 Spot Instances. Use EC2 Spot Instances to access spare AWS compute capacity at reduced costs, promoting efficient resource utilization.

• Use Graviton-based EC2 AWS Graviton-based EC2 instances use up to 60% less energy than comparable instances. This is achieved through superior architecture, performance efficiency, high density, and thermal efficiency. These factors not only provide significant energy savings but also offer the best price-performance ratio.

• Listen to AWS recommendations to optimize your estate. Leverage AWS Trusted Advisor for real-time guidance on optimizing infrastructure, enhancing performance, reducing costs, and improving environmental sustainability.

• Look at cost reduction When you reduce costs, you also help save unnecessary energy usage. Utilize AWS Cost Explorer to visualize and manage AWS spending, identify cost-saving opportunities, and optimize resource efficiency to minimize financial and environmental costs.

• Use sustainable storage options Opt for Amazon S3 Glacier for long-term data storage, leveraging its cost-effectiveness and minimal environmental impact compared to traditional storage solutions. Utilize Amazon storage classes wisely.

• Finally, monitor AWS using CloudWatch Monitor AWS resource utilization in real-time, analyze trends, and implement optimizations to reduce energy consumption and costs.

Follow the above best practices, and every day when you go to sleep, you'll rest happily knowing that in your own way, you're doing what you can to save the planet. Yes, as Cloud Architects, you can help save the planet. Finally, that's not the only thing you can do. Learn a few small habits that can have lasting impacts in our effort to fight climate change.

When you're at the office or working from home, turn off unnecessary lights and electronics. Make it a habit to switch off lights and unplug electronics when you're not using them. This saves electricity and lowers your energy consumption.

I'm wrapping it up. I hope many of you find this useful, and I'm sure there are many other ways to fight the cause as Cloud Architects. Let's start sharing your experiences and contributing to the cause. Remember, as individuals, there is a lot we can do, and as a community, we have a massive role to play.