Chips could play a major role in cutting carbon emissions but simply making them incurs a big burden.Despite regular improvements, energy consumption is likely to remain high in silicon production - the biggest changes in lifecycle cost come from extending the lifetime of electronic systems and, longer term, by shifting lower-performance components to alternative technologies. For example, one of the benefits of polymer semiconductors lies in the much lower temperatures needed for manufacture. A move to self-assembly techniques may also yield benefits. But, in the meantime, if you want to lower carbon dioxide emissions, it's worth hanging on to that digital TV or PC a little while longer.