The burgeoning of pop culture in the past decade has introduced countless new terms into our society’s lexicon, not the least of which is Google, a word that now both holds meaning as a proper noun and a verb. “To Google” is a widely accepted verb that is usually associated with the concept of looking for something in the vast sea of content the internet has to offer, specifically via Google’s expansive search engine. However, for those of us concerned with the Green movement it may be time to re-define the way we search the interweb, and here’s why:
A recent study done by Harvard physicist Alex Wissner-Gross concluded that each time someone performs a Google search, it produces .7 grams of C02 (meaning after 2 searches, you have produced the same amount of Carbon as boiling a kettle of tea!). While Google quickly responded with a slightly lower estimation of each search’s C02 emission, there is an undeniable link between each search and the production of C02 which, over time, can add up to a sizable Carbon emission.
Though the ultimate solution to the problem is probably to simply turn off your computer and flip open a book, few of us can find the time in the middle of a busy day to accommodate that habit. Instead, we at BigGreenCart have recently fallen in e-love with EcoCho.com, a search site that is verifiably Carbon Neutral. EcoCho utilizes both Yahoo! and Google engines, but for every 1,000 searches performed via EcoCho, the company plants one tree- enough to offset the amount of Carbon emitted as a result of our need for immediate intellectual gratification. Plus, they offer handy, installable EcoCho toolbars to help curb your reflex to Google.
For more specifics on the effects of Google on the environment, check out the beginning of this video on Zaproot.com.
