Lets Save Energy Blacken Google

[Enarsee]

Lets Use blackle instead of google.com

www.blackle.com/

How is Blackle saving energy?

Blackle was created by Heap Media to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.

Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.

We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy.
How can you help?

We encourage you to set Blackle as your home page (Ctrl+D). This way every time you load your Internet browser you will save a little bit of energy. Remember every bit counts! You will also be reminded about the need to save energy each time you see the Blackle page load.

Help us spread the word about Blackle by telling your friends and family to set it as their home page. If you have a blog then give us a mention. Or put the following text in your email signature: "Blackle.com - Saving energy one search at a time".

Have a look at our energy saving tips page for ideas on steps you can take to save energy.

There are a lot of great web sites about saving energy and being more environmentally friendly. They are full of great tips covering the little things that we can all do to make a difference today. Try Blackling "energy saving tips" or visit one of the many great blogs dedicated to environmental awareness.

[wozzym]

Thanks this is good information rather than a worthless ad

[Brandon]

This site is still using google though ... ?

[wozzym]

But its black so it uses less energy

[machine]

Interesting. Thanks for the info .

[Enarsee]

it is using googles customised search

[Cmain]

I like this one better(I know it is not quite as dark):
http://www.07designs.com/gdark/

[Cmain]

I remember reading that it doesn't actually save energy at all, as emitting black pixels uses the same amount of energy as white ones.

Turns out Thomas is right as usual.

This is only true for CRT monitors and for LCD monitors it actually takes more energy to display the black pixel.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/ten_things_you.php

[MrTouz]

the concept was pretty good, but really need more research.

Also, if everybody was using newtech lamps we could save 1000 times what blackl.com would save as energy.
Or if we just (all in the world) Switched off everything that has power for only 1 minut at the same time ! imagine what would it do !

but consuming less also means no $$$ circling... but its an other problem

[Jacob]

I am sure this is a pointless advertsiment for some random company. It still uses google so there is no point in boycotting google. Pixels are pixels, how can it make a difference?

Jacob.

[machine]

After reading all the posts I'm beginning to feel that this 'energy-saving' business is just a marketing angle. I remember that another search engine [Gigablast.com] also mentions something similar on its website. I think it's the latest means of attracting users .

I checked out this blacken engine -- it uses google, but doesn't offer an 'image search', at least not like the way google does...

[Jacob]

Again, a pointless ad.

Jacob.

[Andrew]

Again, a pointless ad.

Jacob.

Got a stick up your ass?

I like this one better(I know it is not quite as dark):
http://www.07designs.com/gdark/

This would be the best option since you can still use the real google, and you probably could easily change the colors, i'm just not to familiar with the GreaseMonkey script

Turns out Thomas is right as usual.

This is only true for CRT monitors and for LCD monitors it actually takes more energy to display the black pixel.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/ten_things_you.php

Great article, found it really interesting, and helpful. Now I can shove it in peoples faces that they really AREN'T doing anything to save energy

Or if we just (all in the world) Switched off everything that has power for only 1 minut at the same time ! imagine what would it do !

I hate to break it to you, but shutting everything down for one minute probably wouldn't do anything, considering there are alot of electrical items that take MORE power to turn on than to just leave on. So I think after all is said and done, that the energy savings would either be nothing (as if turning everything off never happened) or it would be so minuscule on a global level that it would have wasted everyones time, and that whole minute everyone could have been thinking of a better way to save energy rather than site there in the dark for 60 seconds.

[wozzym]

i think its not a pointless ad, even if its a marketing idea, its still a pretty good one. I mean some people are trying to make a difference in something (not necessarily energy crisis). And by using it you wouldnt be boycotting google, its powered by google...so really it seems more like a attempt to conserve energy to me. Somebody wouldnt just come out and say they are a search powered by google if they wanted to be a huge search website company...

[Bogey]

Maybe you have not thought of this but if you are using CRT monitor , than blackle is good for you and if you are using LCD just visit google if you really intend on saving some energy. Otherwise it doesn't matter.

Even though it's a good idea... it backfired on some

[MrTouz]

I think it's the latest means of attracting users

Saving the environment is actually a kick ass idea... in any market.

Talking about light, and environment, well i did an exam 2 weeks ago about a company selling new 'light' styles, that consumes less and stay 'alive' 10x longer and cost around 3x less.

You would be amazed to see how much their 'business figure' (don't know if its how you say it in english, well its their income via sales (not what they made directly on their pockets but what it came after the sales) EXPLODED.

Environment is the key !

_____

I hate to break it to you, but shutting everything down for one minute probably wouldn't do anything, considering there are alot of electrical items that take MORE power to turn on than to just leave on. So I think after all is said and done, that the energy savings would either be nothing (as if turning everything off never happened) or it would be so minuscule on a global level that it would have wasted everyones time, and that whole minute everyone could have been thinking of a better way to save energy rather than site there in the dark for 60 seconds.

I never did the math.. but you need to imagine.

Well the electrical material that you are about to shut off and put back on is going to be turned off / on anyway. So you do not need to take in consideration the amount energy your product is going to take while shutting off or setting it on. (its like, if you did what i say in the morning, your product is OFF already... well instead of putting it on dirrectly.. WAIT... wait for a minute or two, and lets everybody wait, at the same time)

But, staying OFF for a minut means NOT taking any amount of energy, can you just imagine what it'll do ?
Its a simple / boring math, lets work with LIGHTS only because its something we are SURE everyone uses.

you need values, people in a square foot, people using light in a square foot, amount of time the light is used in this square foot, convert this amount in KW, multiply this amount by the square foots of a specific area.

Stats can be found on the web, but in the WORLD... its huge, and even ... set it off for 5 minutes ! can you imagine ! its like when they did this Bike in paris thing, (no cars allowed in paris for a day) do that math...

Simply it just consumes less. a lot less.

[Cmain]

Solar ftw!

Every hour, the sun delivers as much energy to the Earth as all of humanity uses in a year. The total energy from just 20 days of sunshine is equal to all the energy available in the total reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas.

If we converted only 10 percent of this solar energy into electricity, a square of land 100 miles on a side (about 0.26 percent of America's total land area) could meet all of America's electricity needs.

Source: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=23052

[Bogey]

Solar ftw!
Source: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=23052

That's why solar power is such a good idea

[ironside]

this is a stupid idea.

lets put our energy into peeing in the ocean while criminals run rampant and get their faces on the cover of Forbes.

how much energy would we save if we just ended the war in iraq? how much energy would we save if we spend that trillion dollars on research?

this is what we've come to? that we should look at a black screen over white?

oh right, every little bit helps. so lets waste time legitimizing this idea rather than talking about ideas that would make this one moot.

this is an idea thought of by stupid people and endorsing it makes one a fool.

nothing personal. sorry to spoil your happy happy joy joy, we are the world, flotsam for thinking hogwash.

from now on i'm running my air conditioner even in winter. let the bastards that suck the life blood out of the common man make a sacrifice for a change.

[Cmain]

this is a stupid idea.

lets put our energy into peeing in the ocean while criminals run rampant and get their faces on the cover of Forbes.

how much energy would we save if we just ended the war in iraq? how much energy would we save if we spend that trillion dollars on research?

this is what we've come to? that we should look at a black screen over white?

oh right, every little bit helps. so lets waste time legitimizing this idea rather than talking about ideas that would make this one moot.

this is an idea thought of by stupid people and endorsing it makes one a fool.

nothing personal. sorry to spoil your happy happy joy joy, we are the world, flotsam for thinking hogwash.

from now on i'm running my air conditioner even in winter. let the bastards that suck the life blood out of the common man make a sacrifice for a change.

Basically everyone here is agreeing with that. No need to get hostile.