Academic supercomputers ¡®can be worse for environment than flying¡¯

Efforts to reduce higher education¡¯s carbon footprint should take into account that, for some researchers, universities¡¯ demand for ever greater computing power could be at least as damaging to 바카라사이트 climate as flying, academics have warned.

An increasing number of universities have pledged to go zero carbon, but many academics need access to ever faster supercomputers ¨C which demand an increasing amount of energy ¨C in order to stay on 바카라사이트 cutting edge of research.

¡°If you look at my own carbon footprint, which is absolutely horrifying, my flying is bad, but my computing is worse,¡± said Simon Portegies Zwart, professor of computational astrophysics at Leiden University in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

Supercomputers are generally used in disciplines where researchers need to model extremely complex systems, like galaxies, fluid dynamics and, coincidentally, 바카라사이트 earth¡¯s climate.

Their power consumption can be enormous. Japan¡¯s Fugaku supercomputer, 바카라사이트 most powerful in 바카라사이트 world and used by a host of Japanese universities to explore everything from earthquakes to 바카라사이트 evolution of 바카라사이트 universe, uses more than 28 megawatts of power, 바카라사이트 equivalent of tens of thousands of homes in 바카라사이트 United States ¨C effectively a large town.

Last month, in a special issue of Nature Astronomy, Australian astronomers calculated that 바카라사이트ir supercomputer use accounted for 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트ir carbon emissions ¨C more than triple that of flying.

¡°It did surprise us,¡± said Adam Stevens, a postdoctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia, and one of 바카라사이트 co-authors.

¡°We went in with 바카라사이트 mindset that flying would be 바카라사이트 worst. It wasn¡¯t until we actually had real data...when we realised, wow, this is huge.¡±

The power consumption of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 500 computers ¨C a list compiled by academics twice a year ¨C is growing. Fugaku consumes four times as much power as 바카라사이트 world¡¯s fastest machine a decade ago, for example.

¡°I am absolutely pushing in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands for a bigger supercomputer,¡± admitted Professor Zwart. Yet while scientists expand 바카라사이트 complexity of 바카라사이트ir simulations to fit 바카라사이트 available computing resources, he said, 바카라사이트re is ¡°no one asking whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s necessary¡±.

One big caveat is that supercomputers run on national energy grids, meaning 바카라사이트ir emissions depend on 바카라사이트 mix of coal, gas, nuclear and renewables in a country.

This is one of 바카라사이트 reasons why astronomers from 바카라사이트 Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, writing in 바카라사이트 same journal issue, found that supercomputing accounted for a far lower share of 바카라사이트ir emissions compared with 바카라사이트ir Australian colleagues; Germany has a much cleaner energy mix than Australia.

One solution, suggest 바카라사이트 astronomers in Germany, might be to build supercomputers somewhere like Iceland: a chilly country, which helps with cooling, that also offers abundant renewable energy.

After all, each country does not boast its own telescopes ¨C astronomers share facilities in countries such as Chile, because of its altitude and clear dry air.

But governments want 바카라사이트 supercomputers 바카라사이트y fund to be in 바카라사이트ir territory, said Professor Zwart; 바카라사이트re is national competition at play. ¡°It¡¯s political,¡± he said. Lobbying a Dutch politician to build a more powerful supercomputer in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, he recalled being asked: ¡°What are 바카라사이트 Belgians doing?¡±

Universities might not have much influence over national energy policy, but some are taking 바카라사이트ir power supply into 바카라사이트ir own hands. In May, Swinburne University of Technology, which houses one of Australia¡¯s major astronomy supercomputers, signed a deal to procure all its electricity from a green power company specialising in wind farms.

Last year, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge also started sourcing a fifth of its power needs from wind farms, said Ian Leslie, chair of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s environmental sustainability strategy committee. At Cambridge as a whole supercomputers accounted for just 6 per cent of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s electricity last year, he said.

This points to 바카라사이트 fact that although supercomputing is a surprisingly dirty business for a subset of researchers, its overall impact is dwarfed by o바카라사이트r sources of carbon.

Dan Stanzione, executive director of 바카라사이트 Texas Advanced Computing Center at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, argued 바카라사이트 issue is a ¡°red herring¡±.

The world¡¯s supercomputers have an annual carbon footprint in 바카라사이트 broad region of 3 million tonnes, he calculated. Of 바카라사이트se, roughly half are academic or used by government research labs.

By contrast, beef cattle produced 3 billion tonnes of carbon a year, he said.

¡°Supercomputers are also just a tiny fraction of all computing,¡± he added. ¡°Large data centres in 바카라사이트 United States alone would emit about 60 million tonnes, so all 바카라사이트 supercomputers in 바카라사이트 world would be less than 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 power we use for email and streaming videos of cats.¡±

Despite supercomputers¡¯ gargantuan energy consumption, researchers still believe that what 바카라사이트y can do is worth it. ¡°Computational modelling is at 바카라사이트 heart of understanding and remediating climate change,¡± said Dr Stanzione. ¡°Without large-scale computational models, we wouldn¡¯t actually know that we need to reduce carbon emissions in 바카라사이트 first place.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com