22,600 tons of carbon dioxide are released every year to power online search engines and an astonishing 300 million tons powering the entire internet. The best solution for balancing out the increase in carbon emissions from computer servers is to plant trees (trees use CO2 as a natural input for the photosynthesis process).

"A new breed of internet startup is taking on the big guns of the tech world."

Ecosia.org is a clever startup that is reimagining online search. Most search engines make money through displaying online ads, however, Ecosia uses 80% of its income to fund The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees project. Brazil's Atlantic coast is extremely important ecologically because of the high level of biodiversity found there and the intense pressure from previous deforestation. Strategically, it's a highly effective place on planet earth to plant trees.

The search engine recently got an upgrade; it now combines Yahoo! and Google results to better display maps, news, pictures, and even biographies. It has never been easier to help the environment while searching the internet. You can make a difference by 1.) Visiting Ecosia.org for your online searches 2.) Installing the browser extension and 3.) Telling your friends!