COP 16: Google Fights Climate Change, Highlighting UN Talks In Cancun

If we need creativity to combat climate change, Google is up for the challenge. Google Earth has created a series of tours and videos to address the issue of climate change in anticipation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16) occurring this week and next in Cancun, Mexico.

One featured video, "Coping With Climate Change" is even narrated by Kofi Annan. The video highlights people who are actively fighting climate change and those who already must cope with global warming. Annan offers concrete advice on ways to pursue a green revolution, focusing on groups like the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Other videos in the Google series include a 3D flight over tree canopies and an exploration of Mexico's mangroves. Many of these presentations will be incorporated into workshops that Google is putting on at COP 16.

But Google is offering more than just videos. The Google Earth for Educators Community has created a website to help teachers educate their students. The Climate Change Educators Resource page offers tools to create lesson plans, plus downloadable Google Earth KML files.

This isn't the first green initiative that Google has pursued. Google proudly touts efforts to compute efficiently, green its employees, and reduce its carbon footprint. They've even created a three-step program to become carbon neutral, which includes developing utility scale renewable energy that is cheaper than coal, known as RE. Dan Reicher, a key developer of RErecently hired by Stanford to head up an energy policy center, a hire that further emphasizes the green brains churning in the Googleplex.

Critics have questioned Google's green initiatives in the past, citing that Google searches produce high electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But with this newest addition to Google's piling mound of green initiatives, the company is certainly making an effort to disprove its critics and demonstrate a vested interest in our changing climate.

Comments

[little old lady]

11:17 PM on 12/11/2010

I think Kofi Annan's video AND Google's educational site are terrific! Thanks for posting this. But I'm sad to read many comments below which are extremely far off topic. We're in such deep do_do on this beautiful planet, but it seems more important to strut our egos and attack each other than to try and agree to start dealing with problems.

[Judie Mattocks]

01:05 PM on 12/02/2010

Great series. For more up to the minute news, check out www.GreenDetectives.net Kevin Tuerff and Valerie Davis, owners of EnviroMedia Social Marketing are attending COP 16 and reporting on all the action. Check it out!

[Minolta]

09:50 PM on 12/01/2010

You can tell him that now that the Republicans are in charge the US will not be borrowing trillions more from China and giving it to South Africa and other nations....the socialist redistribute the wealth dream is over.

[MGhamma]

08:05 PM on 12/02/2010

Where were you when the repubs controlled all three branches of government during the first part of this century?

Remember medicare part D?

Remember 5 + Trillion added to our national debt?

Remember TARP?

Try closing your mouth and openig your mind, hypocrite!

[truthisneeded]

08:14 PM on 12/01/2010

cool

[QuiteSeriously]

07:48 PM on 12/01/2010

LetsGoSteve: whenever we burn oil, coal, or natural gas, we take carbon out of the ground and put it into the air in the form of CO2 carbon dioxide. Lavoisier pretty much figured out how combustion works in the 1700s. That's your science lesson for the day! You are welcome.

[JR Jake]

03:07 PM on 12/01/2010

Sadly we are at or beyond the tipping point when it comes to our planet. For us to spearhead anything significant takes more than commitment, it requires inordinate amount of resources and capitalization. Last time I looked money does not grow on tree's (even though it could be created).

Th cost prohibitive nature of structure and infrastructure in a green society requires a cost be borne by someone. In this day and age of corporate and financial elitism, the consumer is going to bear the greatest cost by effectual institution of programs worldwide. To create manpower has to be available but requires a company to hire and they are not.

To paint a portrait a vision of the blueprint needs to be interpretive (sic), but no one seems to know which direction is best and who should spearhead it. Technology has to be such that absolute dedication to projects is paramount and companies dedicated to that cause.

To bring about new creation, there are times old established properties need to be leveled and given to new growth. Cities like Detroit and Flint who are at 25% of their functional capacity might be nice areas to create something new.

We have more international participation and agreement than what is seen in the Northern hemisphere. Why is that? Only our representatives can answer that because the people are willing to work, want change, seek leadership ......... but are reliant on our leaders to 'paint us a picture, don't tell us a story.

[MimiK]

01:30 PM on 12/01/2010

With one exception, every comment so far is a repetition of the usual rant, and clearly part of the organized -- and exposed -- propaganda campaign mounted by the well-organized ranting right.

These are not comments; they are STEALTH PROPAGANDA.

Huff Post, I am begging you to come up with a policy regarding posts about climate change to block the stealth propaganda campaign. The Deniers are USING you, Huff Post. Come up with a way not to let them. If nothing else, simply deny comment posts for articles about global warming and climate change to anyone, all across the board.

You must stop the stealth propaganda machine.

[millemtu]

03:20 PM on 12/01/2010

sorry, free speech is a b!tch.

[MekhongKurt]

05:24 PM on 12/03/2010

@MimiK, as much as I fret over claims by those who deny climate change, I flat refuse them the right to speak out -- if for absolutely no other reason than the utterly selfish one that *I* damned sure don't want someone *else* silencing me. But there are more reasons than that. For starters, there's the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. I am a native-born American, and fully support freedom of speech, except as our courts have determined is unacceptably harmful. (Shouting "FIRE!" in a crowded theater when there isn't any fire is the classic example of such unacceptably harmful speech.)

I can WISH they'd keep their mouths shut -- but I'll always defend their right to open them.

[dmezz1962]

01:13 PM on 12/01/2010

Kofi Annan is one of the biggest criminals ever. He and is son were knee deep in the Oil for Food program taking millions in kick backs. He also turned a blind eye toward the rapes that the UN Peace keepers Thugs were doing.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

01:08 PM on 12/01/2010

Google... the polluter who dodges taxes by offshoring entities... the purveyor of billions of searches a day from energy sucking and C02 emmiting laptops, smartphones and desktops... the company whose CEO thinks privacy should be obsolete...Hmmmm. Does anybody besides me get that Google is just singing the tune the leftist politicians in Washington and the windbags at the UN want to hear so they leave them alone in the regulatory blitz they all want to shove down our throats?

[cjohnsonla]

01:11 AM on 12/02/2010

Google does both good and bad. One can easily make a pro and con list about them. But you can't say they aren't trying to reduce their carbon footprint and are committed to the great energy transition. In the West, they built their server farm nearby hydro power, and in the East they are heavily investing in wind power. This is among dozens of smaller things they do in this area.

[ABQ-Mike]

01:02 PM on 12/01/2010

Sweden posts the coldest weather in 100 years.

http://www.thelocal.se/30516/20101130/

Will someone please tell those Swedes to pay attention and get in step here.

[Jimbeaux]

01:12 PM on 12/01/2010

Sweden is a country - not the world -

(hint - that's why it's called "Global Climate Change")

Check out the link below - notice where Sweden is "Blue Dots" & notice the "Red Dots" on 95% of the rest of the world.

http://www.wunderground.com/climate/

[mothergrace]

01:53 PM on 12/01/2010

Colder weather can be a result of global climate disruption.

You are the one who needs to get with the program.

[roofjoist]

02:00 PM on 12/01/2010

Weather is the result of a continuously changing climate. I'm already on that program.

[ABQ-Mike]

09:40 PM on 12/01/2010

Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. Global cooling is caused by global warming.
Or something like that.
So.
Do you walk to work or bring your lunch?

[LetsGoSteve]

11:56 AM on 12/01/2010

Another case where man caused Climate Change supporters will look past any and all evidence that does not support their point of view.

"Hide The Decline"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAlMomLvu_4

[HowthCastle]

12:09 PM on 12/01/2010

Do you know why your home has hollow walls? It's to hide the wires and plumbing.

[Tribidemp]

01:45 PM on 12/01/2010

I love how your “evidence” is a youtube video. Very academic of you.

[LetsGoSteve]

02:08 PM on 12/01/2010

The progressives own the power of the grading pen. The progressives owns the power of the purse. There is money to be made by supporting man caused climate change, so of course the scientific community will support what they are getting paid to support. How does a scientist who takes an opposition view get paid?

[LetsGoSteve]

02:32 PM on 12/01/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilbd702_DR0&list=UL1uAFnzwgI5o&playnext=1

OK here is some well funded science for you.

[LRocha2010]

11:56 AM on 12/01/2010

It's great to see a company like Google take on these initiatives (particularly the educators community), especially since most Americans are skeptical of climate change, or just simply unaware of the impacts it has on our planet. I've found that this site, www.greendetectives.net, provides a great "decoder" for those who are interested in learning more about climate change.

[LetsGoSteve]

12:11 PM on 12/01/2010

Why are American skeptical of climate change. Could it be that progressive teachers for the last couple of generations have been indoctrinating the children? Could it be that Michael Mann, Al Gore, and others have been uncovered as frauds?

[Tribidemp]

01:47 PM on 12/01/2010

I would gather the average American global climate change skeptic is uneducated on the subject matter, and this is the cause for such skepticism.

[Unitynow8]

02:19 PM on 12/01/2010

it's about life quality and not destroying earth more then about hotter or colder.

Why can people get behind cutting into smokers freedoms, but not get behind getting rid of coal, car, bovine pollution? I don't get it.

if it's about money, dude they can make money with alt energy, nothing wrong with that.

[julieintx]

11:56 AM on 12/01/2010

I'd be more impressed if the corrupt Kofi Annan were not involved.

[LetsGoSteve]

01:09 PM on 12/01/2010

Yes, he does illustrate that climate change is political, rather then scientific.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

01:09 PM on 12/01/2010

Who from the UN is not corrput?

[nils filmer]

09:24 AM on 12/01/2010

The humanity is in the edge of a dilemma? Either choosing Gaian or Medean theory, two characters from the Greek Mythology.. Gaia, the symbol of birth and the mother nature; and Medea, the symbol of death, who itself killed her own children in the myth.. What will we do now? Either, continue to use fossil fuels, and we will become a Medea each that will destroy the future generations; or we will start to use the renewable types of fuels such as wind or solar energy, to save the planet from the Medeas, and we will become a Gaia each, to leave a clean world to the future generations..

http://kuzeyli48.blogspot.com/

[LetsGoSteve]

01:10 PM on 12/01/2010

"Mother Nature" is another word for an intelligent designer.

[mothergrace]

02:32 PM on 12/01/2010

And when we say "Mother Nature" we don't mean an actual person.

Those who use "Intelligent Designer" are talking about their invisible friend who they believe to actually exist.