We’ve been thinking a lot about how we can make C-Heads — and the internet we all use — a little more sustainable. First of all: thank you for the many kind emails, requests, and submissions from around the world. Sometimes, though, we receive single submissions as 1-GB downloads. If we only preview and delete them, the energy used to transfer that data was for nothing. To stay mindful and keep our exchange efficient, we’re introducing a few simple guidelines. Small steps add up — for everybody.
Why this matters (in short)
Data centres currently account for about ~1–1.5% of global electricity (≈415 TWh in 2024) and this could rise significantly by 2030 as digital workloads grow
(IEA,
Carbon Brief).
That doesn’t mean “the internet is bad” — it means how we send and store files matters.
Our submission guidelines
- Keep files light: For web editorials, max. ~1200 px width and ≤ 1.5 MB per image are absolutely fine.
- No email attachments: Please use external links (e.g. Dropbox, WeTransfer).
- Selection, not everything: Please don’t send more than 40 images to choose from.
- No newsletters we never subscribed to.
- Keep emails lean: Don’t embed images in the email body and trim long quote chains if possible.
- Please avoid repeated forwards: One clear message is enough — we’ll reply if it’s a yes.
More mindful habits we support
- When sharing video previews, consider lower streaming quality for quick reviews — video dominates a large share of internet traffic
(Sandvine Global Internet Phenomena). - On the web side, efficient pages help — see principles of
Sustainable Web Design.
We’ll keep improving our workflows and website to be more environmentally friendly over time.
Thanks for contributing and for helping us keep C-Heads light, beautiful, and conscious.
