Eco-Searching
July 2nd, 2008 by john
Here’s a cool idea for those who use internet search regularly (and we all do, don’t we?). Switch to Ecocho. For every 1000 searches performed, these guys, based in Sydney, Australia, will plant two trees.
The search results are from Yahoo, so you know you’ll be getting high quality results still, but you’ll also be helping the environment. According to their site, they’ll be able to remove 1 ton of CO2 for every 1000 searches performed, and the whole thing is audited by KPMG.
That’s a really simple way that everybody can help make a difference. And all you need to do is change that little search box in the top right corner of your browser to use ecocho.com instead of your current search engine.
Tags: australia, search, trees
Posted in Internet, Tip |
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July 3rd, 2008 at 1:06 am
[...] but information for everyday people. Yesterday looked at eco-friendly lighting options; today a search engine that plants trees for every 1000 searches performed (and produces great results too thanks to [...]
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Another purportedly eco-friendly search option is http://www.blackle.com. It’s based on the Google search engine, but uses a predominately black screen. Blackle claims this saves energy over the bright white screen of Google, and they cite a study from Lawrence Berkeley lab to back it up. Unfortunately, it only saves energy on CRT, not LCDs, which is what most people have nowadays. So far Blackle says it has saved just under 700 kWh, which is equivalent to the electrical energy consumed by 40 average California homes in one day.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
There is a black background option at http://www.ecocho.com too, but as you say, it makes no difference on LCDs which are backlit continuously no matter what colour is on the screen. LCDs should be better on the environment though, and even more so if they are attached to laptop since their overall power consumption, even when plugged in, is significantly better than a desktop + monitor combination.