Every Byte Counts

Overbrowsing is an applied research group focused on advancing sustainable web practices. Established as part of doctoral research at The University of Edinburgh's Design Informatics Department, we blend inquiry with action to develop research-driven solutions that reduce environmental impact, enhance accessibility, and align technological potential with environmental stewardship.

The term “browsing” originates from herbivores feeding, and similarly, “overbrowsing” in nature occurs when consumption exceeds the capacity of environmental resources. This shared origin parallels the unsustainable excesses of the web, aligning with the group's mission.

Action is Long Overdue

The internet is the world's largest machine and contributes to 3.7% of global carbon emissions, twice that of the aviation industry. Every byte of data added to the web has a direct environmental impact, not only due to energy consumption but also because of the additional resources it consumes, such as water and land, along with the materials required for the delivery, transmission, and storage of data. Since 2010, the median desktop page size has increased by 465.2%, while on mobile, it has risen by 1530.2%. With over 5.5 billion internet users worldwide (68% of the global population), and an average annual growth rate of 4%, the energy consumption of the internet is of increasing concern. Hoesung Lee, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), highlighted the importance of decisive action, stating that "Every bit of warming matters. Every year matters. Every choice matters," and with that, every byte matters.

Pruner.js: A Responsive Image Javascript Utility

Inspired by the practice in horticulture—the targeted removal of unhealthy or unwanted parts of a plant to promote healthier growth—Pruner.js addresses the challenges of HTML5.1 responsive images, which rely on multiple versions for specific viewports but often result in errors, complex markup, and what we term pixel waste—image areas extending beyond the visible aperture—by adapting to different viewport sizes.