(Cross-posted from the Google Green blog)
One of the things I enjoy most about working on Google’s green team is understanding what gets people interested in green topics. One way to uncover that is to look at the most popular searches. This year’s Zeitgeist, released today, highlights the fastest rising searches in 2011 and includes several categories related to the environment.
We could have guessed that solar would be popular, but who knew so many people were searching for backyard chickens and garbage island? I learned a few things, too -- about an earless bunny that created a stir about radiation, and microorganisms that light up Puerto Rico’s famous bioluminescent bay.
To explore top green searches in the US in the Zeitgeist, you can find lists in the Science, Tech & Gadgets, and Quirky categories. The lists include top searches in alternative energy, rare wild animals, hybrid and alternative vehicles, environmental questions, what people are reusing, quirky environmental, waste disposal, and sustainability.
As part of Google Green, we created the Green Scrapbook so you can explore these green trends, choose your favorites, and reveal videos and surprising facts about them. As you click around, you create your very own 2011 Green Scrapbook, which you can personalize with your name on top and share with your friends. Check out the highlights video:
Google continues to create a better web that’s better for the environment. So it’s encouraging to see that 2011 was another year when people were using the web to find information and resources to make greener choices. We hope that the more we understand about garbage islands, the more we’ll choose to use reusable bags. And the more we understand what deforestation is, the more we’ll want to protect the cute red panda. I’m off to make my 2011 Green Scrapbook to help spread the word!
Posted by Erin Carlson Reilly, Google Green Team