Hi – I’d like to tell you about some work we’ve been doing in Academic Services to raise awareness around eco-friendly search engines. Searching the net is integral to a lot of work and study we need to do during our day, so where we can’t reduce our consumption, the next best step is to take actions that have a positive impact on our environment.
Ecosia is a search engine that contributes to environmental sustainability by planting trees with its ad revenue. Working with local organisations on the ground to plant native trees where they are needed most, Ecosia is helping to reverse deforestation and reinvigorate biodiversity in over 35 countries across the world.
The platform has a dedicated initiative, Ecosia on Campus, which encourages students to campaign for Ecosia to become the default search engine at their universities. This not only fosters a culture of environmental awareness, but also demonstrates the collective impact students can have on reforestation efforts.
Using Ecosia is beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a tangible way to contribute to reforestation and combat climate change without any additional effort or cost. Each search removes approximately 1 kg of CO2 from the atmosphere, making it a simple yet effective tool for students to reduce their carbon footprint. Additionally, Ecosia is powered by 100% renewable energy, further minimizing the environmental impact of digital activities.
Ecosia also champions transparency and ethical practices, publishing monthly financial reports to show exactly how their profits are allocated to tree-planting projects. Rather than planting trees and forgetting about them, Ecosia works with their partner organisations to ensure the success rate by monitoring both on the ground and by satellite imaging. They also commit to monitoring for 20 years after planting. They are also doing research into alternatives to the plastic sleeves used to protect young saplings, such as using banana leaves – a natural by-product in countries like Uganda.
For educational institutions, adopting Ecosia aligns with sustainability goals, and offers a practical step towards greener operations. My feeling is that with Sustainability being first in the OU’s Learn and Live Strategy, switching to Ecosia should be a no-brainer. There are over 30 UK universities that have already implemented Ecosia as their default search engine across all student and staff devices. The process is free, relatively simple and supported by Ecosia throughout. The team at UWE Bristol told me that since making the switch two years ago, Ecosia has just become the norm, and the monthly reports they get from Ecosia are a great way to keep staff and students informed of the impact their searches have had.
In terms of functionality, it is possible to choose to use Google to return your searches in Ecosia’s settings, but you can also use shortcuts to ensure you get the results you want (e.g. typing #gs after your search term will ensure the results that come back are from Google Scholar).
I had the privilege of talking to your Environment and Sustainability Working Group about Ecosia, and they asked me to write this article for TheHoot to inform the student body more widely. Please do let the group know your thoughts about Ecosia – you have a powerful voice and, with you behind the idea, we could have a huge and positive impact on our environment!
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