'The computer chip industry has a dirty climate secret'

And now something completely different:

"The semiconductor industry has a problem. Demand is booming for silicon chips,
which are embedded in everything from smartphones and televisions to wind
turbines, but it comes at a big cost: a huge carbon footprint.
The industry presents a paradox. Meeting global climate goals will, in part,
rely on semiconductors. They’re integral to electric vehicles, solar arrays and
wind turbines. But chip manufacturing also contributes to the climate crisis. It
requires huge amounts of energy and water - a chip fabrication plant, or fab,
can use millions of gallons of water a day - and creates hazardous waste.
As the semiconductor industry finds itself increasingly under the spotlight, it
is starting to grapple with its climate impacts. Last week Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chipmaker, which supplies chips to
Apple, pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The company aims to “broaden
our green influence and drive the industry towards low-carbon sustainability”,
said the TSMC chairman, Mark Lui.
But decarbonizing the industry will be a big challenge.(...)"
Article:
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/semiconductor-silicon-chips-carbon-footprint-climate>

"net zero emissions by 2050". 

So soon? Wow! ;-)

Near the end of the article: 
"increasingly, customers are willing to pay more for a greener device"

Really?


Yrrah