The first thing that comes to mind when we speak about search engines is Google, because it is the most famous one. Then, if you ask people to give you examples of other search engines, they might mention Yahoo! or Bing. But did you know that more sustainable options exist? Indeed, Google represents 40% of the internet carbon footprint on its own, and while you can’t stop looking things up on the Internet, you can certainly do so more responsibly!
Do “Ecosia”, “GoodSearch” or “Lilo” ring a bell? These are some examples of solidarity-based search engines, which means that for every search you make they are all giving a part of their revenue back to the community. Even if they are not charities and don’t give back all their revenue, searching on these search engines that finance humanitarian, ecological or solidarity projects is an additional step you, as a responsible consumer, can take as Google offers nothing of the sort. Using these search engines is as simple as it can be and enables you to commit to a cause that is close to your heart, such the protection of the oceans or the access to education for everyone.
With Ecosia, each search contributes to planting trees. With Lilo, you collect water drops that you can give as a donation to a charity of your choice. With GoodSearch, you collect $0.01/search in your search bank and then donate. Simple, don’t you think?
So, we have a challenge for you Badgers! Try to use a solidarity-based search engine on at least one of your devices. For example, I use Ecosia on my smartphone and Lilo on my laptop 😉. As (future) co-op students or (future) marketers, you can also tell your company about it!
P.S.: Click on the links to add the search engine extensions to your browser.
Camille Blandin