StartupCafe

Apparently we emit CO2 every time we conduct a search on Google or any other search engine. 

But what if you could save ~2 sq metres of rainforest for every search you were to conduct, without paying a penny– would you do it?

Ecosia is an eco-friendly search engine powered by renewable energy;  80% of its generated income will apparently be donated to protect the Earth’s lungs, i.e. rainforests. 

Ecosia claims that the average internet user could protect an area of rainforest around the size of an ice-hockey field each year by using its search engine – which runs on green electricity and emits no carbon emissions.

Ecosia is a privately owned, independent organisation backed by Bing, Yahoo and WWF (no, not the World Wrestling Federation).  It is not the only ‘green’ search engine but labels itself as the greenest and most user-friendly in the world.  I haven’t yet put it to the test.  I normally use Google and had never really thought about using anything else.  But I feel like it’s the least I could do when they’ve made it so easy for me to feel like I’m helping the world!  So I’ll give it a 30 day trial.

This video explains how it’s funded, operates and works, and (for those requiring instant gratification) it also displays on your screen the amount of rainforest you have already helped to protect.  I quite like the fact that the search results include a preview of the website which sits to the left of the result.

Unlike most search engines, Ecosia claims to delete your searches within 48hours and will not analyse them at all!  Apparently they will not draw up a profile of you, something that will please those who value their privacy.  The thought of someone painting a picture of me based on an analysis of my searches gives me the heebie-jeebies! Yuck!

The UN Summit on Climate Change has kicked off in Copenhagen this week…I just HAD to post an eco-article!