UCL Union

I found this website the other day and think that if everyone in the UCL would use blackle instead google some energy might be saved. For some reference about what it is, I just pasted the following from http://blackle.com/about/ 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. Greets!

No, we should not.

Blackle is not only a for-profit project, meaning that gullible users are putting money right into the creators pockets, but it also uses more energy than the standard white-backgrounded Google for everything except old CRT monitors. Seeing as just about everyone has flatscreen LCD screens nowadays, Blackle is actually likely to consume more energy than Google.

So, no.

I agree with Sean. However, well done Pablo for thinking about our energy usage. Check out the UCL site 'You Have the Power' for more energy saving tips:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/youhavethepower/

Even though it doesnt save energy, staring at black (which is essentially nothing) is better for your eyes than the bombardment of every colour at once into your cones and rods. Try staring closely at a white screen and switch it to a black screen, you will feel your eyes relax. Save your sight, (especially stare at a screen for work (6hrs) and recreation (2hrs)) and TURN DOWN THE CONTRAST!!! (that definately saves energy, just ask laptop owners)