Did you know that if all 140 million Twitter users shut down their computer for one hour, that would be the equivalent use of power to that of taking 9,128 cars off the road… for an entire year?

And if every one of Facebook’s 845 million users shortened their daily showers by a single minute, we’d save enough water to fill over one million olympic-sized swimming pools?

The rapid progress we’ve seen in advancements in technology over the last half century, and particularly in the previous decade, has, of course, revolutionized the world, but it does come at a cost, and it’s one that is being increasingly borne by the planet. As computers, smart phones and tablets have become more affordable and widespread, the levels of energy used to power these devices has also risen exponentially, with no signs of slowing down.

However, by making relatively small adjustments to their behaviour, users can make hugely beneficial changes to this environmental impact by acting collectively – power down your PC, step away from Twitter for an hour or two and take a walk outside. Don’t worry – everything will still be there when you come back. And hopefully, for a long time to come.

This infographic from Recyclebank presents a number of ways that social media users can share responsibility for their planet.

(Source: Recyclebank. Earth image via Shutterstock.)