Our Commitment to Sustainable Creativity

At Hike The Sunshine, we believe that creativity and conservation go hand in hand. Every digital choice we make — from how we create to how we share — is guided by the same respect for the planet that inspires our work outdoors.

We recognize that our online presence, like all technology, leaves a footprint. That includes the energy behind our website hosting, social media, cloud storage, and even the AI tools we use to design, write, and explore new ideas. Rather than ignoring that reality, we’ve made a conscious effort to keep our impact as light as possible. Our hosting partners use renewable energy whenever available, we optimize our site for efficiency, and we intentionally limit unnecessary data transfers and file storage.

We also use AI thoughtfully and purposefully. It allows us to streamline workflows, reduce waste, and spend more time outdoors capturing real experiences — not just creating digital replicas. When we use AI, we do so responsibly, choosing platforms like OpenAI that are actively working toward cleaner, more sustainable operations through energy-efficient model design, transparency, and ongoing research into reducing carbon and water use.

Our goal isn’t to be perfect — it’s to be intentional. Every story, photo, and digital project we share is created with mindfulness of its impact. We aim to use innovation to inspire connection, not consumption; to turn technology into a tool for awareness, not excess. Because for us, protecting the environment doesn’t stop on the trail — it extends to every corner of our digital world.

UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

At Hike The Sunshine, we believe that awareness is the first step toward change. Even in the digital world, every click, post, and image carries an environmental footprint. This page is our commitment to transparency — sharing how our digital presence, creative tools, and hosting choices impact the planet, and what we’re doing to reduce that impact.

Our Digital Footprint

While our mission celebrates nature and conservation, we also spend time online — sharing stories, organizing events, and connecting with the community. Each digital action requires energy: servers to host websites, networks to deliver content, and devices to access it all. Understanding those impacts helps us make smarter, cleaner choices.

Website Hosting on Squarespace

Our website is proudly hosted through Squarespace, a platform that operates on cloud infrastructure designed for reliability and efficiency. While Squarespace doesn’t currently publish full carbon reporting, its data centers are part of global providers like Google Cloud and AWS, which have committed to using 100% renewable energy for their operations.

To reduce our footprint even further, we:

• Optimize image sizes and caching to reduce data load.

• Limit video autoplay and high-bandwidth content.

• Use lighter design templates and compressed file formats.

• Regularly audit content to remove redundant assets.

Together, these steps reduce energy use per page load and help keep our online presence lean and efficient.

The Carbon Cost of Digital Platforms

Different digital tools carry different environmental weights. Here’s an approximate comparison of average emissions per user across popular platforms and tools.These figures are based on publicly available research and independent modeling — not official disclosures — and should be viewed as informed estimates.

Platform / Tool Estimated Emission per Unit of Use Estimated Annual Emission per User:

TikTok~ 2.9 g CO₂e per minute~ 48.5 kg CO₂e per year - Heavy video streaming footprint (The Guardian 2024)

YouTube~ 2.9 g CO₂e per minute~ 40.2 kg CO₂e per year - Similar per-minute rate, longer watch time

Instagram~ 2.9 g CO₂e per minute~ 32.5 kg CO₂e per year - Image- and reel-based content

ChatGPT (text)~ 2–3 g CO₂e per query~ 11 kg CO₂e per year (≈ 10 queries/day) - Based on average user activity (Sustainability by Numbers 2024)

DALL·E (image)~ 1–3 g CO₂e per image~ 0.2–0.3 kg CO₂e per year (≈ 100 images) Image generation only (TinyML Substack 2024)

* Annual emissions are illustrative estimates based on typical usage patterns. Actual impact varies by energy mix, data-center efficiency, and user behavior.

Our Commitment to Responsible Creation

We use AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E to streamline creative workflows, reduce wasted time, and focus on what matters — sharing the beauty of Florida’s wild spaces. We do this mindfully, using these tools sparingly and with intention.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and DALL·E, is investing in sustainable AI development, improving model efficiency, and publishing environmental research to reduce energy and water use across their infrastructure.

By pairing thoughtful usage with clean hosting and minimal digital waste, we aim to ensure that our creativity and storytelling remain in harmony with our environmental values.

Looking Ahead

Sustainability isn’t a destination — it’s an ongoing practice. We’ll continue to review our digital impact, explore greener hosting solutions, and share updates transparently as the technology evolves.

Our goal is simple: to tell stories that inspire people to love and protect nature — while making sure the way we tell them does, too.