Three ways to slash your carbon using tech
Buying gadgets isn’t going to dig us out of the wildfire-and-flood-filled hole we’ve pushed ourselves into, but there are a few simple steps you can take to help directly or to support companies trying to find a greener route.
Search with Ecosia (info.ecosia.org)
Ditch Google for a greener way to search by installing the Ecosia extension in Chrome or your browser of choice. Ecosia helps in two ways. First, the Berlin-based social enterprise has built its own solar plants, so every search is powered by renewable energy rather than fossil fuels (it’s worth noting that Google’s operations have been powered by renewable sources since 2017).
But Ecosia has a second tactic. The money that Ecosia makes from advertising is used to plant trees. By the organisation’s own maths, if Ecosia were as big as Google, it could absorb 15% of carbon emissions worldwide. So far, it has about 15 million users, a far cry from Google’s billions.
There’s a downside to Ecosia: its search results are powered by Microsoft’s Bing. Though it’s thankfully improved in the past few years, your results may vary.
Make your home smarter
Heating homes makes up a tenth of the UK’s carbon emissions. There are easy steps to take – install better insulation and switch to a green energy provider – but smart tech can help, too. A smart thermostat will save on heating bills as well as emissions, while also meaning you always have the right temperature. Forget heating an empty house, and warm it up before you arrive home.
Stick to Zoom calls
Videoconferencing isn’t new, of course, but the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns have helped make it the new normal. Transport makes up a fifth of global emissions, so skip the business-class flight or long drive across the country and chat virtually when and where you can. It will save you time as well as emissions.
Can’t convince your boss that Zoom is better than in person? Find a carbon calculator online (such as at co2.myclimate.org) to reveal the impact of that flight or drive, and if you feel up for an extra challenge, ask the company to purchase carbon offsets for the trip. The additional cost may help sway the decision.