Google Earth Shows the Effects of Global Warming
Posted in Energy Inventions | Environment and Sustainability
Google recently launched Earth Outreach as part of an effort to provide non-profit and public benefit organizations the knowledge and resources they need to reach hearts and minds in the ongoing struggle to raise awareness about global warming and climate change. Their environment and science showcase provides links to some of the more helpful and informative tools in the collection. You have to have Google Earth installed in order to view the files.
The new Google Earth application can show you how global warming will affect the Earth and you over the next century. To watch it in action you must have the latest version of Google Earth installed.
Through this new Google Earth presentation you can watch the process of global warming exactly the way scientists see it. Once you download the global warming KML file (that can be viewed in Google Earth) you can visit various years and by individual regions and countries you’ll be able to see the impact of global warming. You can click on the regions and watch the impact of global warming on local populations.
The most drastic effect, the file shows, will be at the poles. In the next 50 years there will be no snow at the poles.
The animation begins at the year 1999 and as you move the cursor rightwards the years progress, gradually changing the colors of various regions, varying from blue to yellow to dark red. The dark red color shows the density of the heat, and after a century, the great amount of heat will be accumulate over the Polar Regions and that will cause utter devastation.
“Climate Change in Our World,” as the file is called, is a joint venture of The Met Office Hadley Center, British Antarctic Survey and the UK government.
Sample Outreach Tools
Great Green Buildings
This KML showcases buildings across the United States that are included in the Department of Energy’s High Performance Buildings Database, which features buildings that meet certain energy and environmental performance guidelines.
Current Air Quality
Updated every hour, air quality from hundreds of monitoring stations is shown giving a break down of the results. This type of KML can prove very useful for those with health problems (and those providing care), allowing them to plan their movement better and prepare for any potential issues that may arise from a peak in pollutants.
Climate Change In Our World
The Met Office Hadley Centre, British Antarctic Survey and UK Government have harnessed Google Earth technology to present you with an interactive animation showing how climate change and global temperature rises could affect our world over the next 100 years.
Global Database of Dams
Dr Mark Mulligan from Kings College London is one individual who is facilitating this effort by providing a KML in which you, the user can explore and contribute to collecting a global database of dams.
Black Tides: The Worst Oil Spill Disasters in History
This KML provides an account of “Black Tides” from the 1960’s onwards – each spill represented by a ‘polygon’ and description balloon providing photographs and additional information.