Green search engine plants trees for clicks

by Andrew Hendry

April 14, 2008 —

A new Australian search engine that claims to be the first "green"
search engine launched Monday, offering users in 14 countries the ability to
contribute to offsetting carbon emissions through tree planting schemes simply
by using it to query the Web.

Ecocho is aiming to offset
greenhouse gas emissions by sponsoring the growth of up to two trees for every
1000 searches users make through the ecocho site, which utilizes Yahoo
and Google search engine
technologies.

The company has an agreement with Yahoo and Google to receive a percentage
of advertising revenue. That money is then used to purchase carbon offset credits
through the NSW government Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme, said ecocho founder
Tim Macdonald.

"From that we've organized with the Global
Carbon Exchange, a broker of government accredited carbon credits, to essentially
retire carbon credits. The credits get taken out of service and that money goes
towards tree growing projects that the (NSW) government runs,"

"So, the government says 'thank you, we've got that money and we're not
going to spend it building roads or tunnels and bridges, but on tree growing
projects'," Macdonald said.

The search engine launched in Australia, the United States, France, Germany,
Italy, and a further nine other countries, with future international tree planting
schemes to be conducted through government accredited projects in each country.

"If you look at pure numbers, in Australia alone you've got 800 million
searches per month. If we can get just one or two percent of people to switch
to ecocho that could make a dramatic difference for the environment," Macdonald
said.

The accounting and auditing firm KPMG is responsible for checking the registering
and retirement of credits, ensuring ecocho delivers on its aim to reinvest 70
percent of the site's revenue in carbon offset credits.

Macdonald said the ecocho team - four young, environmentally minded Australians
- will be disappointed if the site does not result in at least tens of thousands
of new trees being planted.

"We've been pretty serious with the launch, the search technology is available
in 60 different languages, and we've gone to the trouble of hosting sites in
other countries in their native tongue," he said.

Computerworld Australia