* a brief pause
* a sustainable search engine
In 2019, a study by the think tank "The Shift Project" caused a stir worldwide: According to the study, the Internet - if it were a state - would rank sixth in terms of energy consumption. Search queries are a not insignificant factor in this enormous power consumption. The market leader Google alone has to handle more than 5.6 billion search queries DAILY, that's 65,000 search queries every SECOND. There are no official figures on the power consumption for a search query from Google, but Expert:innen estimates that a search consumes around 0.3 watt hours. In other words, if you search 20 times (I'm trying to get rid of the word "google" so that I don't become a free advertising medium for this company), you've used about as much energy as an energy-saving light bulb in one hour. Often, searching has become a substitute for thinking, it's so easy and quick. Before you've thought about what you're actually looking for, the first search on the web has already sunk in and 0.3 watt hours have been wasted.
So, before the next search, pause for a moment and consider whether this search is really needed.
We also have alternatives to a certain extent when it comes to choosing a search engine. The essential aspect for me is the protection of my data. Unfortunately, there's no getting around Google when it comes to the quality of search results. But there is still an alternative that helps us not to turn our data into a commodity:
Startpage draws on Google's search results, but is a kind of intermediary between us and the Internet giant. Startpage thus ensures that our personal data remains protected, that we can surf anonymously and that we cannot be tracked, because Google itself does not get to see our location or our IP address. In addition, no cookies are set.
Although the results come from Google itself, the search results may differ. This is because no personalized results can be played out due to a lack of data. Maybe a good compromise in your company as well?
Have fun cooking!
Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!
This recipe is from Frank Brown