Type in Blackle.com and save the world

Dubai: Just type Blackle.com on your web browser and you're on your way to saving the world.

Well, all people seem to do is complain about how the environment is getting worse because we're not doing enough. So why not start simple? And while you're at it, lower your electricity bill.

Blackle.com from Google is an energy-saving search alternative that simply changes the background colour to black.

It helps save light emission from monitors - it is an environmentally friendly black version of Google. An Australian online services company HeapMedia created it in 2007.

But where did it all start? The clues leads to tree hugger Mark Ontkush, who posted a blog, entitled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year.

According to Ontkush: "An all-white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while an all black page uses only 59 watts."

Comparing this to the number of people who visit Google - around 200 million queries a day - it appears to be an effective energy-saving strategy.

There has been speculation regarding the fact that Blackle will serve its purpose with CRT screens, which emit a brighter light when projecting a white screen. But with LCD screens, which produce a constant backlight and hold around 75 per cent of the world market share, it will not reduce as much energy.

According to Tony Heap from Heap Media, new technology in monitors do not use a constant backlight like the current LCDs. So there will be a difference in energy saving.

According to the Blackle homepage, by using it, people have saved more than 638,900 watt hours since its launch in February 2007. That's enough to power a household for 21 days.

When you enter search terms in Blackle, it sends queries to Google and retrieves the information. It does not allow users to have full access to all of Google's features. For example, users will not be able to search for images.

"I do not expect the energy savings from Blackle to change the world on their own," Toby said, "but the point is that every little bit counts."