Every day people search Google, search for thousands of things, check Facebook or write one email after another. But what about energy consumption? Is there such a thing as green surfing?
According to Harvard physicist Alex Wissner-Gross, two searches release about the same amount of CO2 as a full kettle. Although the value has now been recalculated and reduced to 0.2 g, the question still arises: What exactly is the energy consumption on the World Wide Web?
Sustainable search engines – yes, they really exist
The Ecosia website is an example of sustainable searching: 80% of its revenue is donated to the WeForest organization, EcoSearch even donates all of its profits to non-profit organizations. Small catch: These are not independent search engines, because these sites also rely on Google, Yahoo, etc. However, Ecosia intervenes with the help of purchased emission certificates from the climate protection organization myclimate.
There are also offers such as WeGreen or Umlu (the environmental magnifying glass) that filter the search results based on how “green” the providers found are - the most environmentally friendly ones are therefore at the top of the results list.
Send emails – the provider decides
An eco-check by the magazine taz zeo2 showed that it definitely makes a difference which provider you create your email account with. Mail.de emerged as the winner: They presented a comprehensive transparency report that every user could read and determine how much electricity their mail account used. In addition, Mail.de uses energy-efficient hardware, software and environmentally friendly use of the billing center using green electricity.
Large corporations are also striving for sustainability
Anyone who wants to criticize Google, Facebook, Apple & Co. should hold back: Of the 17 companies examined, Apple is the only one in the USA that exclusively uses renewable energy. Facebook's new data center will also rely solely on wind power in the future. This development shows that large companies are also trying to make the Internet more sustainable and surfing greener.
What can I do? 6 tips for greener surfing
- Even if you already have an account with a sustainable email provider, you should consider each email whether it is really necessary. Instead, it's better to have a personal conversation - you'll find out a lot more news that way.
- Reading on an e-book reader protects trees and saves ink, but the device should have a long battery life, e.g. Amazon 's Kindle really lasts forever.
- Small electronic devices such as smartphones or tablets logically require less energy , which is why you should use these for quick searches instead of using your laptop or PC.
- Speaking of laptop/PC: Set your computer so that it automatically goes to sleep after a few minutes . Although this also uses energy, this process is much more efficient overall.
- However, if you don't use your device for more than two hours, just switch it off completely , it's worth it!
- Last but not least: Don't forget that energy is also drawn in standby mode. It is therefore better to use a power strip with which you can switch off all connected devices using the red switch.
These alternatives are worth it!
