#StayHome and turn your digital footprint into trees
Being online, surfing the web, sending data around the world, all this leaves a digital footprint that has similar CO2-emissions as flying. Now that’s not something we want to hear right now, when the coronavirus forces us to not only work from home, but also to use a plethora of alternative digital ways to communicate. There is a lot of word around that if the climate crisis had received the same attention, we would have already made some very necessary changes — changes, for which people took to the streets for decades.
Presently, a virus has forced us to change our behaviour immediately. And it not only has an impact on our health and safety, but on our environment as well. Global CO2-emissions have drastically decreased. Let’s keep that spirit up while staying home. In fact, there is a very simple way to apply the current challenge towards improving our environmental footprint — especially our digital one.
One simple switch
Being active for the environment can have many forms, but it has never been easier to do something so small, yet impactful for the environment while just sitting at home and surfing the web: switch your search engine. There is an alternative, green search engine that invests its profits into planting trees. It is called Ecosia. Their focus lies with trees, because through the good old photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2. They are the most natural, cost-effective climate solution.
And here is how it works: Every search engine generates its income through advertisements or websites that pay for each click. Ecosia invests these revenues in reforestation projects around the world. For every 45–50 searches, one tree is planted. Ecosia has planted over 89 million trees worldwide since its foundation in 2009. And the number goes up every second.
Ecosia on Campus
As of today, 15 million people use Ecosia. Among these are also seven universities that have switched to Ecosia as their standard search engine on all campus computers. Persuaded by a group of committed students, the University of Sussex was the first one to make the switch in 2018. This inspired students worldwide — currently over 100 active campaigns are in place. And it also inspired me to start one for the University of Basel last fall. Ecosia provides a step by step guideline on how to do it and offers a lot of support along the way. As a PhD candidate in psychology, I am doing research about using smartphone apps as therapeutical tools. It is my passion and my interest, to use the digital tools we have in the best possible way — for ourselves and for our environment. I have been using Ecosia for years and this campaign offers me a wonderful way to be active for the environment.
The student campaigns around the world form an additional movement for climate change, a community with a common goal: to turn our digital footprint into trees. And guess what: within only a few months, already 147 trees have been planted in the name of the University of Basel!
To be part of this effort only takes a few clicks. You don’t even have to leave your desk. A good thing these days. As I said, it’s the small things. Now, more than ever, it takes the commitment and active contribution of every one of us. And if you feel like a hug now — because I do — hug a tree! They too are doing an amazing job.
Follow the Uni Basel on Ecosia campaign on Facebook and Instagram, or contact me personally.
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The University of Basel has an international reputation of outstanding achievements in research and teaching. Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland and has a history of success going back over 550 years. Learn more
