You'd think at first glance that Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE) is good for the environment. After all, it means we don't have to build learning institutions and travel to them, not to mention the savings in pulp and paper production. That's not really what this review (26 page PDF) finds, though. "ODDE relies heavily on digital devices and infrastructure. Each year, billions of electronic devices are manufactured. The production of these devices and their batteries relies on dozens of nonrenewable resources, including scarce metals and rare earth elements... studies also provided insights into certain rebound effects, where energy savings in one area are offset by increased use in another." The main result, though, is that nobody has enough data to actually say one way or another.
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