Wednesday is Earth Day, and many environmental groups and companies around the world are doing their part to educate people about the Earth’s environment and threats to it. The day is intended to help improve the environment and bring more awareness to people about conserving energy, recycling, renewing natural habitats, and leading healthier lives so we can protect the future for all.

According to research commissioned by the WWF UK in 2008, if businesses were to cut back 20 percent of their air travel and replace those trips with video calls, it would eliminate 22 million tons of CO₂ each year. Based on our own estimates, this is equivalent to:

• Annual emissions from 4 million cars
• One year’s energy use of 1.9 million homes
• Preserving 150,000 acres of forest

In addition, because Skype calls take place over the internet and are based on a peer-to-peer system, the company depends on a limited amount of servers. Thus, Skype calls require significantly less energy than other means of communication.

Video calling was introduced by Skype in December 2005. In a little more than three years, video calling has entered the mainstream and is widely used by people around the world. Today, 34 percent of all Skype calls between our users include video.

Not only are Skype video calls free, but they also provide a great alternative to travel and a better way to stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues, when you can’t be there in-person.

Business travel and commuting makes up as much as 50% of carbon output, according to WWF commissioned research. Simply cutting back on business travel and commuting, and enacting face-to-face video calls can make a huge difference. So on Earth Day, as you think about how you can help curb global warming – Skype is an easy and free way to get started.