Program Participant

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Name:George Ramirez
TitleCompany:PhD Research Student, New York University, USA
Bio:George N. Ramírez is a PhD candidate in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, where his work focuses on digital media, Latinx popular culture, and theories of mediation. He is also a Research Assistant for Sustainable Subsea Networks (SSN), a research initiative of the SubOptic Foundation that investigates the sustainability of the global subsea telecommunications network. He holds a M.A. in American Studies from George Washington University, a M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. in Physics and History from Yale University.
 
Title:You can find George in:
 
DateTimeTopicLocation
Sunday, 15 January 202308:30–09:00Submarine Cable Gathering & Poster SessionMPCC, Coral 1 & 2PTC23PROGSUB_POSTER_1
Tuesday, 17 January 202315:30–16:45Advancing Research: PTC’s 2023 Emerging ScholarsMPCC, South Pacific 2PTC23PROGRTS_EMERGING_2

Proceedings

Award:PTC'23 Emerging Scholar
Abstract:ABSTRACT
The environmental impact of information and communications technology, particularly from data centers, has become a topic of concern. However, the subsea telecommunications network--which carries almost all transoceanic Internet traffic--is largely omitted from carbon footprinting studies of the global Internet. Installing, maintaining, and repairing these cables requires a carbon intensive marine fleet, and many owners and operators have begun to develop sustainability initiatives. In turn, ports have also initiated projects that encourage ships to adopt sustainable practices. These efforts, we find, have occurred largely independent of one another. This article argues that we should look acrossports' and telecoms' sustainable developments, and find ways to facilitate conversations between the two industries. Drawing from interviews with port authorities, port organizations, and cable ship operators, I suggest that shore power and new energy carriers areleading solutions to reduce emissions. Voyage optimization and carbon capture utilization are offered as additional solutions towards decarbonization efforts. Kite systems and fuel cells are of particular interest for the subsea cable industry as they can be retrofitted to existing fleets. More bilateral connections are needed, however, to facilitate this uptake, leverage business relationships, and encourage vessels in their operation and supply chain to implement these technologies.
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