Using the internet to help Mother Nature
Dear Mother Nature: How can I use the internet to help you?
These days, the world wide web is beyond worldwide. If you can think of something, it probably exists online. But sometimes, so many opportunities can actually be overwhelming to navigate through. This month, let’s overcome this barrier and discuss some ways the internet helps us be more sustainable.
1. Use Ecosia, a browser that plants trees
While Google and Firefox are two of the most popular search engines, they don’t use their influence to help trees quite in the way Ecosia does. This search engine uses 80% of their profits to fund reforestation efforts. In the 11 years that they have been helping people browse the internet, they have planted more than 136 million trees. Reforestation promotes vital biological processes including species diversity, carbon sequestration, light reflection, food and shelter, and so much more. Using Ecosia is as simple as using any other browser. Learn more about their mission by visiting info.ecosia.org/about.
2. Use productivity apps like Forest
The average American adult spends 3.75 hours a day on their phones. Sometimes, this time would be more wisely spent elsewhere. A study from the University of California Irvine found that, once distracted, it takes a little over 23 minutes to recover our focus. But did you know that there are apps (on our phones, ironically) that plant trees as a reward for staying on task? Meet Forest, an app that is available on both Apple and Android phones. If you keep your phone open on that app, you can watch a tree grow on the screen, which translates into trees planted in real life. The app is designed to keep us off other apps that distract us from working on other things. The app pairs with an organization called Trees for the Future to plant trees that users earn through the app. Since the app’s inception, they have planted over 1.23 million trees. Learn more about them and their planting process here. https://www.forestapp.cc/
3. Write about your passions
I started this column to get community service hours for a summer internship. But I continued it because I believe it can reach people with information about the Earth. If you like writing, too, I would encourage you to also share your passions with others!
“Dear Mother Nature” is a monthly column written by Gabby Barber, a sustainable research and conservation specialist. If you have a question about sustainability and environmental stewardship you would like answered in “Dear Mother Nature,” please send it to gabhriel.barber@okstate.edu. For more tips and knowledge about sustainability, feel free to visit sustainability.okstate.edu online or follow the Oklahoma State University Sustainability Office on all social media platforms @OSUGreen.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Several apps and browsers are available that help the environment when used
