Maintaining a Secure Foundation of Cybersecurity Awareness while Reducing eWaste and Carbon Output through Ethical User Actions and Sustainable Green Computing

Abstract

To better understand how we can help reduce the climate crisis, this research examined user computing activities in detail to analyze and identify eWaste actions causing unknown catastrophic climate degradation. Countless individuals are oblivious to the damage and devastation being caused to the climate by even a single user. As the world becomes more technologically based than ever before, the global impact on the planet has never been greater. This study examines in great detail end-users’ normal computer usage to identify where, how, and why they are generating excess eWaste. We argue that the resultant data collected will provide support for our theory, positing that increasing consumer awareness of better computational practices can lead to positive actions to reduce eWaste. This research study utilized a multiple case study approach to achieve our stated research objectives; recognizing computer actions identified as most detrimental to the climate by level of eWaste (CO2e output) and introducing alternative user actions that are ethical, green, and produce less eWaste. In addition to helping reduce the overall user-level carbon footprint and eWaste output, the sustainability of these alternative user actions can be maintained with zero reduction in privacy or security for end users. Results from this study contribute to the extant body of literature across multiple disciplines, including privacy, green computing, information system science and technology, cybersecurity, and sustainable computing.