  The Internet of Things (IoT) can support the evolution towards a digital and
green future. However, the introduction of the technology clearly has in itself
a direct adverse ecological impact. This paper assesses this impact at both the
IoT-node and at the network side. For the nodes, we show that the electronics
production of devices comes with a carbon footprint that can be much higher
than during operation phase. We highlight that the inclusion of IoT support in
existing cellular networks comes with a significant ecological penalty, raising
overall energy consumption by more than 15%. These results call for novel
design approaches for the nodes and for early consideration of the support for
IoT in future networks. Raising the 'Vehicle or bandit?' question on the nature
of IoT in the broader sense of sustainability, we illustrate the need for
multidisciplinary cooperation to steer applications in desirable directions.
