2- Rethink your search engine |
|
The use of Google as a web search engine is now so common that “google” has entered the Oxford English Dictionary. You may be surprised to learn, though, that every time you run a search, it’s increasing your carbon footprint.
According to Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist, a typical search on Google - which may take several attempts to find what you’re looking for - produces around 7 grams of CO2. So the CO2 generated by performing just two Google searches a day is roughly equivalent to the amount generated by a kettle.
Actually, it’s one of Google’s selling points – its ability to generate search results so quickly – that pushes up its impact on your carbon footprint. That’s because each search uses several servers, often thousands of miles apart.
While it would be unrealistic to stop using search engines, there are a couple of things you can do. Try bookmarking your favourite pages so you don’t need to constantly search for them, and think before you mindlessly go to Google. Could you maybe find the information somewhere in the office? In an encyclopaedia?
You could also try switching to www.blackle.com. Powered by Google custom search, the site has a black background, which is thought to use less energy than a white screen.
|
