Ecosia, a search engine known for its strong ethics and emphasis on privacy has just reached a new milestone. It has successfully planted 100 million trees.
This search engine was started in 2009 as a way of curbing deforestation. The way it works is that each time someone uses Ecosia to search for something online, a tree is planted.
To think that just a little over a decade ago a search engine with a big vision would become the biggest planter of native trees in the world would achieve that is incredible. Thanks to people using Ecosia as their search engine of choice, there is now more biodiversity in areas that used to be barren or palm oil farms.
Thanks to the 100 million trees planted, nearly 2,000 tons of CO2 gets absorbed every single day. Also, these new forests provide essential sanctuaries for endangered animals. There is also greater biodiversity, more fertile soil, and rivers are healthier. The local communities where these trees are planted enjoy having more fruits, nuts, and oils to use. Additionally, farms are more resilient and productive thanks to all the trees Ecosia has planted. Natural wealth increases, which leads to increases in income, which leads to more children in schools and medical bills getting paid.
Ecosia created a mini-documentary about its tree-planting efforts and the issue of palm olive plantations that’s also good to watch.
Ecosia is a mission-driven search engine that provides real-world value based on a simple idea: make the world greener. This isn’t greenwashing, but genuine boost-on-the-ground change that is thanks to everyone who uses Ecosia over other search engines. This company believes so strongly in being guided by this mission that its founder, Christian, made it legally-binding and irreversible in 2018. Fast forward to today and 100 million trees have been planted.
In fact, it’s even more now.
Ecosia doesn’t just plant trees. It has even developed its very own solar power plant in 2018! That means the search engine is powered by perpetual and clean energy. In fact, so much energy is produced that they produce 200% of what they need.
Ecosia also helps out those in need when environmental disasters strike. When the Amazon was on fire, Ecosia planted three million trees in Brazil to help with reforestation efforts. Then, when Australia’s wildfires raged, Ecosia used all the global searches done on the search engine to restore the native rainforests. When COVID-19 put enormous pressure on healthcare workers like nurses and doctors, Ecosia planted native trees at over 10 hospitals so that they are surrounded by healthier environments.
Each Search Is a Vote
Using Ecosia as a search engine is also a vote and a message that we can do things differently. We can co-create a future that supports all of us, as well as the one environment we all share. The health of the planet, and us, matters more than profit. It’s like this meme says…
Using a search engine where your privacy is protected in a world that sells private information to the highest bigger is also incredibly important. Thankfully, Ecosia is a socially-responsible and ethical search engine that is our favorite. And no, we’re not getting a dime from them to say any of this. We genuinely love what they’re doing, and it gives us hope that other people, companies, and organizations can look to Ecosia as a source of inspiration for their own ideas, visions, and plans.
Thanks to millions of people using Ecosia as their preferred search engine, creating a better future becomes that much easier.
