Digital media usage in response to impact data

1. A method for providing digital media content with an embedded environmental impact data value, the method comprising:

a programmable device determining at least one of an amount of energy used in creating a first digital multimedia item comprising music data, and a type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item;

the programmable device calculating a first environmental impact value for the first digital multimedia item as a function of the determined at least one of the amount of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item and the type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item, by at least one of:

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one musical instrument to create the music data; and

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one content creator in creating first digital multimedia item music content data;

the programmable device encoding the determined first environmental impact value; and

the programmable device embedding the encoded first environmental impact value within digital data of the first digital multimedia item for decoding by a receiver of the first digital multimedia item.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second digital multimedia item comprising a second embedded environmental impact value;

decoding the second embedded environmental impact value;

determining an amount of carbon offset as a function of the second embedded item environmental impact value; and

triggering a purchase of the amount of a carbon offset from an offset provider by at least one of a user of the item and a producer of the item.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the first digital multimedia item environmental impact value is an algorithmic function of an energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item and an energy used in providing the first digital multimedia item to a user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first digital multimedia item environmental impact value is a carbon footprint expressed as a weight of carbon dioxide.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first digital multimedia item is a digital multimedia file on a tangible machine-readable article; and

wherein the determining the amount of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item comprises determining at least one of:

an amount of energy used in providing the first item to a user;

an amount of energy used to physically deliver the tangible machine-readable article to the user; and

an amount of energy used to recycle or dispose of the tangible machine-readable article.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the tangible machine-readable article is a compact disc, a digital video disc, or a flash memory device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the programmable device:

receiving another digital multimedia item comprising another embedded environmental impact value;

decoding the received another embedded environmental impact value;

receiving a third digital multimedia item comprising a third embedded environmental impact value;

decoding the third embedded environmental impact value; and

choosing the third item or the another item having a lower value of the decoded third environmental impact value and the decoded another environmental impact value.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the third item and the another item are streamed multimedia broadcast program items, further comprising calculating the environmental impact values for the third and the another items by at least one of:

measuring an amount of energy used by a broadcaster to broadcast the presented third and another program items to a user; and

identifying a type of energy used by the broadcaster to broadcast the third and another presented program items to a user.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the third program item and the another program item are each at least one of a streamed television program, a streamed radio program, a streamed internet broadcasting program and a streamed digital music file.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

conveying the decoded third program item environmental impact value and the another decoded program item environmental impact value to the user; and

offering a broadcast of the third program item or of the another program item to the user; and

wherein the selecting the one of the third program item and the another program item comprises the user manually selecting the one as a function of the conveying the decoded third program item environmental impact value and the another decoded program item environmental impact value to the user.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

illuminating an indicator lamp in association with receiving a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value;

displaying an environmental impact logo within a visual display of content of a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value; and

audibly playing a distinctive sound indicative of the decoded embedded value of a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

omitting a one of the third item and the another item from a presentation of digital items to the user that has at least one of:

an embedded environmental impact value that is above a threshold; and

an embedded environmental impact value that is higher than an embedded environmental impact value of an other of the third item and the another item.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising the processing unit, a computer readable memory and a computer readable tangible storage device, wherein the computer readable program code is embodied on the computer readable tangible storage device and comprises instructions that, when executed by the processing unit via the computer readable memory, cause the processing unit to perform the steps of determining the at least one of the amount of energy used and the type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item, the calculating the first environmental impact value for the first digital multimedia item, the encoding the determined first environmental impact value and the embedding the encoded first environmental impact value within the digital data of the first digital multimedia item for decoding.

14. A programmable device comprising:

a processing unit;

a computer-readable memory in communication with the processing unit; and

a tangible computer-readable storage device in communication with the processing unit and the computer-readable memory;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory:

determines at least one of an amount of energy used in creating a first digital multimedia item comprising music data, and a type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item;

calculates a first environmental impact value for the first digital multimedia item as a function of the determined at least one of the amount of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item and the type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item, by at least one of:

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one musical instrument to create the music data; and

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one content creator in creating first digital multimedia item music content data;

encodes the determined first environmental impact value; and

embeds the encoded first environmental impact value within digital data of the first digital multimedia item for decoding by a receiver of the first digital multimedia item.

15. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory, further presents a user with a choice of using a received third digital media item or another received digital media item by at least one of:

illuminating an indicator lamp in association with receiving a one of the third digital media item and the another digital media item that has a lower decoded environmental value;

displaying an environmental impact logo within a visual display of content of a one of the third digital media item and the another digital media item that has a lower decoded environmental value; and

audibly playing a distinctive sound indicative of the decoded embedded value of a one of the third digital media item and the another digital media item that has a lower decoded environmental value.

16. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory, further:

calculates the first digital multimedia item environmental impact value as an algorithmic function of an energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item and an energy used in providing the first digital multimedia item to a user.

17. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the first digital multimedia item environmental impact value is a carbon footprint expressed as a weight of carbon dioxide.

18. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the first digital multimedia item is a digital multimedia file on a tangible machine-readable article; and

wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory, determines the amount of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item by determining at least one of:

an amount of energy used in providing the first item to a user;

an amount of energy used to physically deliver the tangible machine-readable article to the user; and

an amount of energy used to recycle or dispose of the tangible machine-readable article.

19. A computer program product for providing digital media content with an embedded environmental impact data value, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage device, which is not a signal, having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processing unit, cause the computer processing unit to:

determine at least one of an amount of energy used in creating a first digital multimedia item comprising music data, and a type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item;

calculate a first environmental impact value for the first digital multimedia item as a function of the determined at least one of the amount of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item and the type of energy used in creating the first digital multimedia item, by at least one of:

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one musical instrument to create the music data; and

measuring a total amount of energy used by each of at least one content creator in creating first digital multimedia item music content data;

encode the determined first environmental impact value; and

embed the encoded first environmental impact value within digital data of the first digital multimedia item for decoding by a receiver of the first digital multimedia item.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to:

receive another digital multimedia item comprising another embedded environmental impact value;

decode the received another embedded environmental impact value;

receive a third digital multimedia item comprising a third embedded environmental impact value;

decode the third embedded environmental impact value; and

choose the third item or the another item having a lower value of the decoded third environmental impact value and the decoded another environmental impact value.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 , wherein the third item and the another item are streamed multimedia broadcast program items, and wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to:

calculate the environmental impact values for the third and the another items by at least one of:

measuring an amount of energy used by a broadcaster to broadcast the presented third and another program item to a user; and

identifying a type of energy used by the broadcaster to broadcast the third and another presented program item to a user.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the third program item and the another program item are each at least one of a streamed television program, a streamed radio program, a streamed internet broadcasting program and a streamed digital music file; and

wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to:

illuminate an indicator lamp in association with receiving a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value;

display an environmental impact logo within a visual display of content of a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value; and

audibly play a distinctive sound indicative of the decoded embedded value of a one of the third item and the another item that has a lower decoded environmental value.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to:

omit a one of the third item and the another item from a presentation of digital items to the user that has at least one of:

an embedded environmental impact value that is above a threshold; and

an embedded environmental impact value that is higher than an embedded environmental impact value of another of the third item and the another item.