Helping the Planet From Your Computer!

By Morgan Tobin

We all know that there are problems with our world environmentally, and our generation will suffer in the coming years if we do not do something about it. I know some people don't have the money to donate to a bunch of charities, or the time to go and clean up a beach, but there is another way to help. This may be hard to believe but over the last few years, a series of web-browsers have been created that are targeted towards saving our planet. Where there are more famous things like the Team Tree’s Fundraiser, there are smaller things that can help you make a big impact right from your computer screen.

The first web-browser I want to talk about is OceanHero, who helps our planet in various ways. OceanHero is a web browser where every five searches, money is collected from the searched sites and clicked ads, and used to pay people money for  every pound of plastic they collect. Some third-world countries out there are ravaged with poverty and plastic pollution. OceanHero puts centers called Plastic Banks in those areas, where the people of the surrounding region are paid money for every pound of plastic they collect. This web browser not only helps clean the ocean, but it also helps less fortunate people gain money. 

Another great web-browser I would suggest to you is Ecosia. Ecosia is a web-browser where they use income from ads to plant trees. For every 45 searches you make, a tree is planted. They have planted over 90 million trees (that's over 3-times as much as TeamTree’s), and hope to one day reach their goal of 1 billion trees planted! 

And finally, the third search engine I suggest, is Elliot For Water. Some children in third-world countries are not able to get fresh clean water, and the water they do drink, can often cause diseases and leads to several thousand deaths a day! Elliot for water uses the income it makes from its searches to provide healthy and clean water to people who are in need of it. While it is currently in beta, it is still usable and still helps many people who need them.

While these are good everyday things to use that help, there are plenty more. There are not only search engines but a various amount of online games and more that can also help! If you feel like you can't make a change in the world, your wrong with the simple act of searching something up, you can make a difference!