In amidst the recent climate change politics, it’s easy to feel disheartened about the steps being taken to combat one of humanities biggest issues. However, it is empowering to know that even as an individual, you can help the world by making small changes to your lifestyle. Even considering changing your search engine is one small step towards an eco-friendly world. 

 

Throughout the world, people are continuously searching for a more sustainable and eco-friendly way to live. There are more people recycling now than ever before, more people cutting back on their electricity usage, more cars that do not require fossil fuels and more people changing their diet to become eco-friendlier. A survey conducted by survey monkey also found that 35% of people are more likely to buy an eco-friendly product, even if it means spending more than a non-eco-friendly alternative. 

 

Launched in 2009, Ecosia pride themselves on being an eco-friendly search engine who work to combat deforestation one search at a time. By searching the internet with Ecosia, every search you make contributes to planting new trees around the globe. You even get a little tree counter at the top of your page while you search to show how many trees you have contributed towards planting. Amazingly, they have already managed plant over 7 million new trees and that number is rising every 6 seconds.

 

Ecosia manage to do this through contributing 80% of their profit from search adverts revenue towards tree planting programs. The tree planting programs they currently support are in Madagascar, Indonesia, Burkina Faso and Peru but Ecosia is always looking for more tree planting programs to support and encourages the public to submit ideas about which new projects they can support. 

 

You can read more about the Ecosia search engine and their projects by clicking here.

If you’re not prepared to stop using google yet, Blackle is powered by Google Custom Search and vouches to save energy every time you search. With a black background and a dimmed-out-white font, this search engine ensures a much smaller amount of energy is used whenever you browse the internet. At this present moment, Blackle claims to have saved 6,137,418.533 watt hours since its launch date back in 2007. Their key mantra is that ‘every little bit counts’, which is true when it comes to using eco-friendly search engines. 

 

However, the efficiency of Blackle has long been debated, with some studies claiming that white backgrounds on certain computer screens are actually more energy saving than a black background. Nonetheless, supporting a search engine that is trying its best to be eco-friendly is a step in the right direction. 

 

To read more about Blackle and to try out the search engine, just click here.