Just when I was about to delete yet another random email from my inbox, my curiosity got the better of me. The subject line read “Make your blog carbon neutral - 1 Blog, 1 Tree”. The email was from a German based company called kaufDA. kaufDA is a leading German site for local search and local promotion search. The company enables users to look for the best local sales online, search brochures of local retailers and find stores near them. They claim that this reduces the printed sales brochures that normally flood the letter box or are distributed in other ways. Now, I am not sure how they are taking care of their carbon footprints. Since their site has an Alexa rating of 13,371 they sure must be generating a lot of footprints. Hope they themselves are planting trees!
They do have an impressive website to explain the whole business of blogs and carbon foot prints.
Anyway I wrote to them to find out if they really intend to plant trees or if it was just another sales gimmick to garner more traffic to their site. I did receive a quick and convincing response. KaufDe has teamed up with Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit conservation and education organization based in US. The trees will be planted in Plumas National Forest in Northern California. Arbor Day Foundation’s aim is to reforest Plumas National Forest which was destroyed by recent forest fires. If one is a US citizen and joins Arbor Day Foundation, they give you 10 trees for free! Their website claims that last year members planted 8 million trees.
According to a study by Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.). This can mainly be tracked back to the immense energy usage from (mainframe) computers, servers, and their cooling systems
While I am sure I don't create much traffic to my blog to add significant amount to the carbon footprint, I would love to have a tree planted in lieu of my blog!
As they say, reduction of carbon emissions by planting trees has the same effect, regardless of where in the world the trees are planted. It involves all of us to give something back to our environment.
And those of you who do generate a lot of carbon can either plant a tree or join this cause for a carbon free blogging!
Great to know as a blogger there is a way to contribute to the green cause!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I will definitely check this out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great idea to get your blog carbon free...Lets stand together to create a green earth.Happy blogging..
ReplyDeletewell, 15000 hits per month? So Im sure Im not violating the env too much, lol...
ReplyDeleteJon: Yes... it is a good idea and I wish the same would be done world over, specially India...
ReplyDeleteKamini: Do check it out and get hold of the free trees!
Netha: A warm welcome to u.. I am sure ur cats will love the tree that you plant.. :) do join the cause...
Scorpio: I think u r a good candidate.. so do join the cause or plant a tree :)
Interesting idea- I don't understand it completely but will check it out!
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that instead of having a white background and black letters for our blogs, we should have black backgound and white letters.
Apparently there is some scientific reason about black causing less carbon emissions...
thats a nice initiative. even though you are on blogspot still you are doing so much for environment. Kudos
ReplyDeleteThis is really awesome. There are millions of blogs out there...Just imagine if every blog participates in this initiative, we'd have loads of trees being planted, what's say?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this information with all of us. Really appreciate it! :)
Interesting. But 15,000 hits! Like scorpiogenius said, we are environmentally friendly still :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Never made that connection before. Thanx for sharing. Will check it out.
ReplyDeleteManju:Have to check out the black and white concept.. though I thought it was the other way round!
ReplyDeleteSanthosh: great to read u again... do join the cause..
Parth: A warm welcome to you and glad to have brought this to your notice.. do join the cause...
Kallu: We maybe collectively leaving foot prints so it is still good to join the cause.. I did get a response saying that my blog will get a tree..
Yosee: Even I was not aware until I read them.. didnt know that even blogging could be harmful!
i think that was hoopla..i.e the advt from that company..lots of people on the green bandwagon these days.
ReplyDeleteMaddy: I am sure the company is after profit specially since it is their business.. yet let me blv that it is not 100% ..nd I somehow liked the idea of planting trees in lieu of blogs..
ReplyDelete