Green IT Toolkit

Gov't unveils Google Earth climate-change tool

Kablenet.com

Published: 20 May 2008 09:05 BST

A collaboration between the UK government and Google has produced a new online tool for learning about climate change.

Named "Climate Change in Our World", the tool uses information from the Met Office's Hadley Centre and the British Antarctic Survey to provide two new layers, or animations, to all users of Google Earth.

The tool was launched at the Google Zeitgeist conference by prime minister Gordon Brown, who said it would be a highly valuable tool and cited it as an example of the contribution the IT industry makes to the global economy.

"I think this will be a huge tool for making everybody aware of the huge climate changes of our time," he said.

One animation uses world-leading climate-science capabilities from the Hadley Centre to show global temperatures throughout the next 100 years under medium projections of greenhouse-gas emissions, along with reports of how people in the UK and in some of the world's poorest countries are already being affected by changing weather patterns.

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Users can also access information on action that can be taken by individuals, communities, businesses and governments to tackle climate change, and highlights work already under way.

Another animation, developed by the British Antarctic Survey, shows the retreat of Antarctic ice caps since the 1950s, and features facts about the science and impact of climate change in the Antarctic.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn said: "This project shows people the reality of climate change, using estimates of both the change in the average temperature where they live, and the impact it will have on people's lives all over the world, including here in Britain. By helping people to understand what climate change means for them and for the world, we can mobilise the commitment we need to avoid the worst effects by taking action now."