A different kind of declutter

Sir, – While a digital declutter offers a number of mental and practical benefits, far more impactful options are available for reducing one’s carbon footprint than deleting unwanted emails, ending unused subscriptions and cutting back on generative AI (Letters, October 31st). It is a testament to human intransigence that one of the most significant changes any individual can make to tackle global warming – an entirely achievable change in diet – is still adopted by so few.

A 2025 Eurobarometer survey found that 86 per cent of Irish respondents regard climate change as a serious problem. In the same year, a survey for the Vegan Society of Ireland reported that just 3 per cent of the population are vegan or plant-based.

The dissonance in these figures is well demonstrated by comparing digital activity with diet. Using figures from a big 2018 study published in Science, a single quarter-pound beef burger carries a climate footprint of roughly 3.8 to 11.2kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), depending on whether the beef comes from dairy or dedicated beef herds. CO2e is a measure that adds up the warming effect of all greenhouse gases, including the methane cattle produce.

The French AI company Mistral estimates that a typical text response from its chatbot produces 1.14g CO2e. That is more than 30 times Google’s published estimate for its Gemini chatbot, making it a cautious basis for comparison.

On that figure, I calculate that one burger is equivalent to between 3,300 and 9,900 AI text responses, or asking a chatbot five questions a day for roughly two to five years.

So, by all means, pursue a digital declutter and enjoy the calm that follows. But declutterers should not fool themselves about the climate impact of their actions when far more significant options are within reach. – Yours, etc,

John Hogan,

Assistant Professor of International Relations,

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,

Netherlands.