This blog was written by veterinary students Hannah and Elspeth. They have successfully campaigned for the University to adopt Ecosia as our default search engine on all open access computers across campus.
During a time when it is essential to make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle, we knew the University of Bristol needed to switch to Ecosia, so our campaign started. With the University declaring a climate emergency in 2019, and committing to carbon neutrality, the move to Ecosia fits with becoming a more sustainable campus.
Ecosia is a search engine, which uses its revenue to fund tree planting in twenty different projects across the world, where trees are needed most. This not only has huge environmental benefits but also social impact for the surrounding communities. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, preventing excess greenhouse gases building up in our atmosphere, they also…
- Improve soil health helping farmers produce food.
- Provide an income for communities improving access to education and healthcare.
- Maintain habitats for endangered species, especially when planted in biodiversity hotspots.
We have been using Ecosia on our own devices and feel it is an effortless way for the student body and staff members at the University of to make a worldwide contribution to improving the environment. Having gained support from students and passing our motion at the SU annual members meeting, we felt motivated to make our idea a reality. We are both incredibly excited for this change, especially for it to be launched alongside Sustainability Month at the University.
If you want to learn more about Ecosia please come along to our launch event on Tuesday 16 February at 6 pm via Zoom – check out our Facebook for more details.
To download Ecosia on your personal device and contribute to the University of Bristol tree count use this link.
Let’s see how many trees the University of Bristol can plant!
