'That said, it does depend on the scenario,' Michaud noted. 'Even when taking into account different types of meetings – such as those using high-definition video – different devices, the length of meetings, and many other factors, the electricity consumed at the residential level from a Zoom meeting is far less than that consumed if one was flying across the county for a conference,' added Michaud. 'In terms of electricity usage and emissions, it is clearly better to use Zoom or other video conferencing services,' said Gilbert Michaud, assistant professor of practice in the Online Masters of Public Administration within the School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.

Flying to a conference or driving to a meeting certainly use more energy than a video call. This is especially true in how virtual conferences have replaced massive trade shows including the annual CES – formerly the Consumer Electronics Show. Other experts suggest we shouldn't hang up on Zoom – or similar video calls – just yet.

Zoom conference call