It is much easier to see the pollution generated by an airplane, a car or an oil plant, but it is not so obvious to notice the amount of pollution generated by our search engine queries. What? Our internet searches? Yes! According to theAdeme :
“53 % of greenhouse gas emissions generated by digital technology are due to “data centers” and network infrastructures”.
And what is this? We're not going to give you a lesson in hardware and software, but the Internet (we're sorry to tell you) is not a metaphysical space. It's made up of a multitude of computer equipment that allows us to store and transfer data. According to Data Center Map, currently there are 4,778 data centers in 127 countries. All these digital technologies must be manufactured and powered, which generates a significant ecological cost.
So what about the top 3 search engines?
The following search engines that we are going to present to you also consume energy, and of course, they also pollute, but then, what makes them different?
Ecosia
It is probably the most internationally known “green” search engine (our multicultural team confirms this).
- Aim : They are not only striving to have a neutral carbon footprint, but a negative one! Why negative? Well, simply because their main goal is to plant trees, so your research can "eliminate" CO2 of the environment.
- Energy : Since 2018, Ecosia has started building its own solar power plants. This is the energy they currently use to power their data centers. Yes, 100% renewable energy!
- My personal data: Ecosia protects trees and your privacy. So why do you see ads? Basically because they need money to plant trees, so they show you ads related to what you searched for. What sets them apart is that they don't create a profile based on your searches and your data won't be shared with the advertiser.
Lilo
- Aim : “Lilo” in Hawaiian means “generous”. Their strength as a committed search engine is that you basically decide what to do with the money advertisers pay to Lilo. You can choose the cause you want to contribute to, whether it’s the fight against deforestation in the Amazon, helping to improve the lives of children in your area, protecting Mayotte’s turtles from poaching (by supporting Sea Shepherd France, for example), etc. Each month, 50% of the money they receive is donated to the various projects they support (and what’s more, it’s French!).
- Energy : Some call Lilo a more "solidarity" tool than an "ecological" one, because Lilo is actually a metasearch engine, meaning that its information comes from other search engines: Bing, Yahoo, and yes, also Google. However, they practice "carbon offsetting" by donating part of their turnover to eco-responsible projects (apart from the 50% we mentioned above).
- My personal data: As a French company, they chose to host their servers in France. Just so you know, France and the European Union have the strictest legislation regarding personal data protection. Thanks France! And the EU!
Ekoru
- Aim : Ekoru is the “Ecosia” of the sea. Every search helps eliminate plastic and reforest our oceans. Its two beneficiaries are Big Blue Ocean Cleanup, which keeps our oceans clean, and Operation Posidonia, which keeps them green. Plus, they have over a dozen partners, all connected to the big blue, including two surf foundations.
- Energy : Their servers are placed in data centers powered by thehydroelectricity. They have also optimized their software so that the pages that arrive on your device are as small as possible, in order to use as little energy as possible.
- My personal data: This is, in our opinion, the search engine that best explains its privacy policies. They do not store your data and, when you do a search, they act as an intermediary, so third-party cookies (like Bing) cannot track you. However, they specify that when you access a specific website, they can no longer ensure the protection of your data. They also specify that they receive (like the previous two) money from advertisements, which are identified as such.
Now it's your choice!
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