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2011 Google Green Search Trends
December 15, 2011
Cross-posted from the
Google Green Blog
One of the things I enjoy most about working on
Google’s green team
is understanding what gets people interested in green topics. One way to uncover that is to look at the most popular searches. This year’s
Zeitgeist
, released today, highlights the fastest rising searches in 2011 and includes several categories related to the environment.
We could have guessed that
solar
would be popular, but who knew so many people were searching for
backyard chickens
and
garbage island
? I learned a few things, too -- about an
earless bunny
that created a stir about radiation, and microorganisms that light up Puerto Rico’s famous
bioluminescent bay
.
To explore top green searches in the US in the Zeitgeist, you can find lists in the
Science
,
Tech & Gadgets
, and
Quirky
categories. The lists include top searches in alternative energy, rare wild animals, hybrid and alternative vehicles, environmental questions, what people are reusing, quirky environmental, waste disposal, and sustainability.
As part of
Google Green
, we created the
Green Scrapbook
so you can explore these green trends, choose your favorites, and reveal videos and surprising facts about them. As you click around, you create your very own 2011 Green Scrapbook, which you can personalize with your name on top and share with your friends. Check out the highlights video:
Google continues to create a
better web that’s better for the environment
. So it’s encouraging to see that 2011 was another year when people were using the web to find information and resources to make greener choices. We hope that the more we understand about garbage islands, the more we’ll choose to use
reusable bags
. And the more we understand
what deforestation is
, the more we’ll want to protect the cute
red panda
. I’m off to make my
2011 Green Scrapbook
to help spread the word!
Posted by Erin Carlson Reilly, Google Green Team
The greenest summer ever
August 17, 2011
Throughout the course of my 11 week
BOLD internship
I’ve had the amazing opportunity to learn a lot about the intersection of technology and society. Google is a company that prides itself in innovation, not just for the sake of innovation, but also for impacting lives and making the world a better place. This summer I worked on the
green communications team
within
Google.org
. Our team is responsible for communicating Google’s green initiatives, ranging from on-site programs to
data center efficiency
, to investments in renewable energy. During my internship a
story
ran in the
New York Times
that recognized Google as the leader in data center efficiency. Getting national recognition for our efforts to green our operations was a very rewarding experience.
On Google’s campuses there are reminders everywhere that we are taking steps to achieve true sustainability. Many of us arrive to work on biodiesel shuttles. Once we get to campus, there are about 1,000 bikes in our gBike system that we can pick up whenever we need to get to another building. For longer distances and off-campus trips, we have the
Gfleet
, which is made up entirely of plug-in vehicles. Not only did gBikes become my best friend, but so did the compost bins. With micro-kitchens and cafes virtually around every corner, it is was just as easy to recycle or compost my trash as it was to grab a snack (which happened very frequently).
Part of my responsibilities this summer was to produce a script for a video series highlighting Google’s on-campus green initiatives, focusing on clean transportation, sustainable food practices, and eco-friendly buildings. Each installment in the series explores what measures Google is taking to reduce the size of its carbon footprint. The first, on our
green building practices
, went live today:
Prior to my BOLD internship, environmental issues weren’t really on my radar. In fact, it’s embarrassing to admit, but I rarely used recycling bins before this summer. However, after being exposed to a culture that takes pride in creating a sustainable workplace I quickly found an interest and passion for “greening” the globe.
After learning about how composting can drastically reduce the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal, I decided to take Googley action and see how I can make a difference. When I return to the University of Chicago in the fall I plan on conducting research that explores the effects of composting campaigns in low-income communities. Thanks to my BOLD internship I can truly say that I’m now a champion for eco-justice!
Stay tuned! The other videos on our green video series will be rolling out on the
Google Green Blog
over the next few weeks.
Posted by Edward James III, BOLD Intern, Google.org
Happy Earth Day!
April 22, 2009
Today is
Earth Day
. What are you doing to celebrate? Googlers around the world are celebrating in many different ways, some of which you can read about
here
.
Even our homepage has gotten in on the fun with another innovative doodle:
For tips and ideas on how you can go green for Earth Day and beyond, check out
YouTube's Live Green Channel
. Through simple steps like
getting a houseplant
you too can live a little greener.
Congratulations are in order for the students of the
University of Maine at Farmington
- 24% of them took the
Climate Savers Computing Initiative
's
Power Down for the Planet
pledge to support more efficient computing, besting 18 other universities. You can still take
the pledge
to adopt green computing practices. For more information, visit
http://www.powerdownfortheplanet.org/
.
Have any conservation tips or want to share how you are celebrating your Earth Day - tell us all about it in the comments!
Do your part to "Power Down for the Planet"
March 5, 2009
Do you leave your fridge door open after grabbing what you need? Do you leave your vacuum cleaner running when you aren't cleaning? Of course not. The idea of doing either of these things sounds silly, yet many people don't think to turn off their computers after using them. By using
power management tools
on your computer and buying
more efficient computers
, you can save nearly half a ton of CO2 and more than $60 a year in personal energy costs.
To do our part, Google co-founded the
Climate Savers Computing Initiative
(CSCI) to promote a smarter, greener computing future. The simple changes above can have a HUGE collective impact; our goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 54 million tons per year by 2010 — the equivalent of taking 11 million cars off the road.
The biggest obstacle we face is not technological, it's awareness. That's why we're excited that CSCI has launched the Power Down for the Planet
video contest
, a challenge to you and your friends to develop original and creati
ve videos that educate, entertain, and inform others about the importance of energy efficient computing.
So pick up a camera and make a video telling your own Climate Savers Computing story. How will the environment benefit from advances in computer power management? How do poor computing practices waste energy? What does a sustainable computing future look like to you?
Let your imagination go wild.
Join us
,
gather some friends
, and broadcast your vision of efficient computing. The team with the most compelling video can win up to $5,000 and energy efficient laptops; students at
participating universities
are also eligible to win $5,000 and
Specialized Globe bicycles
. We already have involvement from the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Penn State University, and the University of California - San Diego, just to name a few. Learn more about how your college or university can
become a member of Climate Savers
.
We can't wait to see what you create!
Posted by
Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar
Reduce your carbon footprint in five simple steps
October 27, 2008
This is a guest post from the folks at
liveclimate.org
, an organization we worked with to offset the Google Apps bus tour's carbon footprint. Developing countries will be the hardest hit by effects of climate change, and hundreds of projects around the world are using the growing carbon market to fight poverty in the poorest parts of the world while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving the integrity of our climate. We think these issues are important and would love for you to help.
My name is Jit Bhattacharya, and I'm one of the founders of
Live Climate
. We are proud to be the carbon offset partner for Google's
"App to School" bus tour
. The "App to School" bus tour offset their emissions by donating to a small business bringing solar energy to the communities in Nicaragua that need it most.
Climate change and poverty will be the two defining challenges of this millennium. To win at both these challenges requires commitment from government, from business, and from everyday people like you and me. Google has obviously made that commitment. With their RechargeIT program and solar initiative, we are that much closer to driving 100mpg cars and building affordable solar energy.
Now it's time for us all to make the commitment. If you were wondering what you could do, here are 5 simple things you can do to go carbon neutral and stop climate change:
Change the Lights –
For how small it is, Compact Fluroescent light bulb makes a big difference. Each CFL installed saves you money and prevents 110 lbs of coal from being burned. If every college student in the U.S. changed just 2 light bulbs, we could prevent over 1 Million metric tons of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. If you need any more convincing, Wal-Mart and Costco are offering huge discounts.
Green Your Ride –
So maybe you can't afford a Toyota Prius yet. You can still reduce emissions from transportation. Walk or take public transportation whenever possible. If you do drive, fill up your tires to their limit. It makes a 5% difference! When driving play a game of seeing how many miles you can get out of each tank. With $4/gallon gas, it's a game worth playing.
Eat Less Beef –
The food we eat is a major source of carbon emissions. Visit
http://coolclimate.berkeley.
edu/
to see the carbon footprint of your diet. Eating less beef, eating organic, and buying from local farmer's markets reduces how much energy has gone into the production and transportation of your food.
Make Your Home Super-Efficient -
Seal up doors and windows. Switch to
EnergyStar
appliances. And when you've done all of that, contact your utility to make sure that the few kilowatt-hours of electricity that you do use is coming from renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Offset Your Footprint with Live Climate –
Through the simple changes above, we can reduce our individual carbon footprints by over 50%. To go fully carbon neutral, offset your footprint through a site like Live Climate. Offsetting lets you account for your own carbon footprint by contributing to a project elsewhere that is reducing emissions. With sites like Live Climate, you can pick exactly what project to contribute to and you are guaranteed that is helping to fight poverty as well.
The biggest thing you can do this year for climate change is
Get out and Vote!
This year's election is going to determine how we decide to address climate change in the coming decade, and
students like you should be part of the solution.
Going carbon neutral
September 18, 2008
At Google we're committed to helping build a clean energy future, and we have
several projects and initiatives
in the works to support this goal. As part of that responsibility, Google has committed to being carbon-neutral, meaning we offset
carbon
for all of our business operations. And with the
November 2007 announcement
of our new renewable energy R&D group, Google’s co-founder Larry Page upped the ante, saying, "Our goal is to build one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal, and we are optimistic that this can be done within years, not decades."
In our Mountain View headquarters we currently have a 1.6 megawatt (MW)
solar panel installation
that generates 30% of the peak power necessary to fuel the buildings on which they are located. And at our Google office in Hyderabad, India, we're planning to install solar modules that heat all the water for the building.
here are our rooftop solar panels; see more photos at
www.google.com/apps/bus
Now to further support this mission, we have decided to incorporate the
"App to School" bus tour
in our goal of leading a clean energy revolution. The
sustainable bus
we're driving across the USA runs on 99% biodiesel and is powered by solar panels on the roof. Going one step further we are also going to offset five tons of carbon emissions released by biodiesel combustion through
www.liveclimate.org
, an organization that "funds" worthy carbon-negative projects in Nicaragua, Uganda, and Mexico. For our donation, we're going to support a small enterprise in Nicaragua (supported by the nonprofit E+Co) to install solar panels on homes, schools, and health centers. Light from the solar systems replaces kerosene lanterns that emit a lot of carbon for the small amount of light they provide. Half of the funds will go to Tecnosol to install solar panels, and the other half to E+Carbon, an affiliate of the nonprofit E+Co to provide technical assistance to Tecnosol and other small renewable energy enterprises.
Riding the bus in sustainable style makes for a much smoother ride.
Learn more
about how you can do your part to reduce your carbon footprint.
Posted by Miriam Schneider,
Associate Product Marketing Manager and clean energy enthusiast
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