An average query uses about 1 kJ of energy and emits about 0.2 grams of carbon dioxide. For comparison, the average adult needs about 8000 kJ a day of energy from food, so a Google search uses just about the same amount of energy that your body burns in ten seconds.
To add some context, below is data about the C02 impact of some everyday activities and items compared to Google searching:
| Activity | Google Searches |
| CO2 emissions of an average daily newspaper (PDF) (100% recycled paper) | 850 |
| A glass of orange juice | 1,050 |
| A cheeseburger | 15,000 |
