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If you're reading this, you use a search engine every day. Whether it's Google or Yahoo or whatever, search engines are the primary way that we find information and news. This is news to precisely no one.
A while back, Google came under scrutiny when a study surfaced showing that each search processed created 1-10 grams of CO2—which adds up to a lot of carbon when there are 200 million searches being made every hour or so.
So here's some news you might actually find useful: you can make all that online searching exponentially greener. Each of these 7 search engines either work to green up the search process in general, donate ad revenue to various green causes, or do their part to ease the burden of energy consumption.
The 7 Greenest Search Engines:
- Blackle
Google + Black screen instead of white = Blackle. Blackle saves energy by using the less-intensive (and slightly less appealing looking) black backdrop for its search engine, lessening the amount of energy your computer consumes to display it. Uses the Google search engine. - Forestle:
Forestle uses a search engine powered by Yahoo, like many others—but it donates all of its ad revenue to the Nature Conservancy to save rainforest area. - Znout
Run by the same folks who bring you Forestle, Znout uses the Google engine instead of Yahoo. And instead of helping save rainforests, Znout uses the ad revenue to offset the carbon emissions it generates itself—it's likely the only carbon neutral search engine. - Green Maven
Another customized Google search engine, Green Maven narrows your search to include only green news and information—handy if you're looking for the green angle on a particular news item or current event. Green Maven is well worth a spin. - EcoSeek
Similar to Green Maven, EcoSeek is a sort of search filter, and this one focuses on green goods and products. So if you're looking for a personal solar panel or such, plug it in and go. - Green Link Central
Green Link Central is probably the only human-edited green search engine in existence: their database is approved by the team to make sure nothing scientifically dubious or greenwashed sneaks by. - Green Planet Search
The most visually appealing of all of the green search engines, Green Planet Search is a little on the bulky side, but it's engrossing nonetheless. Get news, fashion, how-to's, and business info in the huge searchable database.
Think you're a green expert? Test your Green IQ with this quiz.
More on Green Search Engines:
New Search Engine Fights Climate Change with Trees
Check Out a New Search Engine for Renewable Energy News... And Much More
10 Really Great Green Google Earth Layers (Slideshow)
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