Green Alternatives to Google Searches

The study was wrong.

The study was wrong. Please stop spreading eco-nazi propaganda!

Mr. Smith of CA @ Jan 17, 2009 18:42:15 PM

I switched to a green search engine

There are so many ways to improve our behaviour regarding the environement. The first thing I made was to switch to http://greenle.net. It makes me think or the environment every time I do a web search.

The result is that I make better decisions in my energy consumption and in the products I buy.

Bill B. Greene @ Jan 14, 2009 13:20:15 PM

Green Alternatives to Google Searches

First of all, I'd like to comment on the thoughts of the person who wrote "One Volcano":

Maybe if man learns how to control volcanoes, then it would most probably be a better idea to encourage them to "spew their gases around the world" as that would diminish the amount of sunrays entering our athmosphere, reducing the earth's temperature.

Secondly, I don't hug trees, dress extaticly or even smoke cannabis. Actually most of the time, I wear a suit, and work as a Headhunter.

Thirdly, when you say promoting fear to gain power, what power is there to gain by campaigning against building a new runway at an airport. The only one that comes to my mind is the power to stop our planet overheating with the greenhouse gas effect.

Finally, what's the economic crisis got to do with it? The subject is about google searches creating 7 grams of carbon each.

To conclude, I believe that a google search may turn into a carbon emmission down the line, but I wouldn't say that it should be at the top of an environmentalist's diary. Also google stops us from trying to get info we seek out of books, which are made of paper, which comes from trees, and as we all most probably know, trees grow on Co2.

It's one thing to act towards the benefit of the environment, another to ignore it, but to actually stand against doing good for the environment is one of the most stupid mistakes a person can make. Either that or they're just afraid of facing up to reality even though deep down, they know it's happening now.

Mike of NY @ Jan 13, 2009 15:57:06 PM

Uhm, no.

Both Google and the physicist who was misquoted in the Sunday Times have refuted the 7g claim. Google asserts with good justification that the actual carbon impact is 0.2g though even this might be too high given that they use green power where possible.

Ann @ Jan 13, 2009 11:29:00 AM

The Choice

Either continue to use a search engine that (regardless of whether or not the contribution is significant) does release carbon, or use a similar search engine AND help contribute to improving our state of existence on this planet.

John of IN @ Jan 13, 2009 09:28:38 AM

Ludicrous

Google handles approximately 1.5 billion search requests every day. According to these bogus estimates (which I now see are geared towards directing users to "green" search engines), this would be enough energy to boil 750 million cups of water a day. Its takes 500 kilojoules to boil a cup of water (~200 grams) at sea level. That means google users are consuming 375,000,000,000 kilojoules of energy every day. There are about 7 million kilojoules in each barrel of oil. The US consumes 20,000 barrels of oil per day, totaling 140,000,000,000 kilojoules!!!! Are you saying that google searches consume more energy than the US EVERY DAY?!!!! Smoke another one hippies.

Jim of MD @ Jan 13, 2009 06:35:12 AM