Google Earth Engine Debuted At COP 16 Climate Summit In Cancun, Mexico

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, debuted its shiny new tool at the COP 16 climate conference in Cancun today. It's a database that will help scientists and conservationists track and analyze changes in Earth's environment, and hopefully slow deforestation.

The satellite imagery tool, called Google Earth Engine, takes advantage of Google's large-scale "cloud" computing infrastructure to build a powerful database out of the thousands of satellite photographs from the past 25 years, many of which have never been analyzed. It will be available online for use by scientists, independent researchers and nations.

This year's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun was a fitting setting for the launch, as the platform can be used to monitor deforestation, natural disaster response, and water resources, among other things. As the U.N. works toward implementing the REDD framework (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries), Google hopes that the Google Earth Engine will make accountability and monitoring easier. For example, creating a detailed forest cover and water map of Mexico, a task that would have taken 3 years on one computer, was accomplished in less than a day.

Google plans on "donating 10 million CPU-hours a year over the next two years on the Google Earth Engine platform," to aid the effort to combat global warming by slowing deforestation.

The Washington Post quoted Doug Boucher, who directs the Tropical Forest and Climate Initiative for the Union of Concerned Scientists, as saying the global trend in deforestation "is one of the few bright spots amid the otherwise gloomy news as far as climate change is concerned." Brazil, for one, has slowed its deforestation to a 22-year low.

CLICK HERE to check out Google's other incredible initiatives in tackling climate change.

Comments

[GoodOldProgressive]

04:32 PM on 12/04/2010

I learned a lot about the technical aspects of climate change with information here: www.greendetectives.net. The cap and trade example is particularly simple and easy to understand.

[AveragePatriot]

12:59 PM on 12/03/2010

If everyone does just a little bit, then there will only be a little bit left to be done...

[Rubius Hagrid]

12:32 PM on 12/03/2010

Somebody figured out GIS over at Google huh?

25 years of images will show little in the way of large scale changes.

Nothing new about this technology, we've used it for years in Archaeology to see changes in human settlements. Anyone with a computer can find historic images going back mush longer than 25 years.

[talkofliberty]

09:49 AM on 12/03/2010

Amazing what free markets are capable of.

[philhellene]

12:39 PM on 12/03/2010

But ONLY if a profit can be made! Or - and this is the rarity - a company decides to be altruistic and take a loss, either in the short-term or in perpetuity.

Remember, because government has taxing authority and can raise funds at will, it can take on projects not readily profitable but socially desirable and/or necessary.

[talkofliberty]

03:48 PM on 12/03/2010

The only thing less Altruistic than Corporations is government. Corps can't steal using the barrel of a gun, government does that.

Government is best when it governs least. I am a fan of local social programs run within States budgets, Federal has no place for it.

[talkofliberty]

12:21 PM on 12/04/2010

Why do you think profit is bad. Without profit, there is nothing for the government to have. The government can only operate if someone generates a profit, which it then steals at varying rates.

Second why do you think Bill Gates and his greedy profit motive employing over 60k people in what is considered high paying jobs, allowing their families to enjoy the American dream, less altruistic than government forcing the poor into section 8 ghettos they most likely will never escape?

[wolf2012]

06:28 PM on 12/04/2010

What free market are you talking about? Get a passport and educate yourself ... In case you haven't noticed, this country is at least 20 years behind concerning environmental issues and corresponding policies.

[sorrytobeakansan]

08:31 AM on 12/03/2010

Climate deniers will ignore this as well. Facts and data just don't mean much to Rushbo's clan.

[james4truth1066]

08:30 AM on 12/03/2010

Please excuse my grammatical error, Shown up, I can hear my mother, who teaches English, correcting me as I type this.

[james4truth1066]

08:28 AM on 12/03/2010

Google Unveils Powerful New Tool

This was the quick headline on the main page, I thought that John Boehner had showed up for the meeting, my mistake I guess.

[Aabby]

10:56 AM on 12/03/2010

haha

[Bob Holton]

08:16 AM on 12/03/2010

Climate change is a myth just like science and logic!!!! The only true thing is corporatio­ns are good and not gre edy at all and humans were made 6,000 years ago by an or gy with a sn ake, a man, a women and an apple!!!

[Bob Holton]

08:15 AM on 12/03/2010

Climate change is a myth just like science and logic!!!! The only true thing is corporations are good and not greedy at all and humans were made 6,000 years ago by an or gy with a snake, a man, a women and an apple!!!

[talkofliberty]

09:49 AM on 12/03/2010

There is no question on climate change, just the remedy for it.

[jimboy71]

10:27 AM on 12/03/2010

Ah, no. Plenty of folks here think the world is getting colder, or that warming is a natural gift from Jebus. Plenty.

[Donns]

08:09 AM on 12/03/2010

I thought the Republicans assured us that none of this was happening? Is someone not telling the truth or is it possible that Google is engaged in some sort of conspiracy?

[millcitymiss]

09:36 AM on 12/03/2010

Obviously those dirty good for nothing libs are promoting some left-wing nut job propaganda. Obama pays them to push his anti-corporate policies because he wants to turn our whole country into Muslim Socialists!

(that was my Rush impression! How'd I do? Hahahaha...)

[NavyRetiredInTexas]

11:48 AM on 12/03/2010

If only mankind's actions are responsible for the current climate changes just who caused the last ice age?? (and don't say Ray Ramano)

The Earth undergoes constant changes and while humans may not be very good stewards of our world some changes will take place no matter what we do (or don't do). Are the Libs going to try to blame Bush the next time the magnetic poles flip???

[clarryr]

01:02 PM on 12/03/2010

You're absolutely right. The earth was here long before man was and did just fine, and it will continue to be here long after we've poisoned ourselves with polution. There's no use in trying to be good stewards of the earth because the earth doesn't care one way or another if we survive.

[moutonnoir]

01:03 AM on 12/03/2010

que right wing misanthropes arguing rabidly for polluting industries to be free to poison us.

[Proud Bay Man]

12:32 AM on 12/03/2010

And here I though it was going to be something like the NEW Osama Finder.

[SamForest]

11:21 PM on 12/02/2010

I wonder if this tool will ever be used to map the massive clearcutting CO2 emissions and forest carbon degredation in California. Or will it be blocked by the timber companies who don't want the truth to be known about the clearcutting in CA. The billionaire timber barrons like those who own Sierra Pacific Industries have exerted big political pressure on the CA Air Resources Board to include clearcutting of California's forest as part of their new CAP and TRADE proposed rule. That would mean smokestack industries could be carbon credits from forests that have or will be clearcut to offset thetheir smokestack emissions. Business as usual for the timber industry - except now they will make money off this sham ! Watch the following video to learn more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEtX9TexMHU

The good folks in California didn't vote NO on PROP 23 just to let this happen!!

[ghost geezer]

12:40 AM on 12/03/2010

Don't paint the devil on the wall. Even at first glance, this is a colossal model, one
that I have dreamed of for several years, but as a pipe dream, realizing what it would
take to pull it off.

We all can contribute to the future of this tool in how we use it, how we advocate
for it, how we provide Google with feedback and where necessary social pressure.

But it hardly appears that this tool was designed just so corporate interests could
march in and emasculate its power. Let's cheer this thing on. Sometimes one
of the big companies gets it right.

[jsarets]

10:35 PM on 12/02/2010

Really cool!

NASA also has an incredible tool on the way called the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO). This satellite will generate a global map of sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon, pinpointing exactly where carbon is emitted and where is reabsorbed -- and in what quantities.

The first OCO was launched in 2009, but it did not reach orbit due to a failure of the Taurus rocket to jettison its payload faring. A new OCO is being built. It could have been ready for launch in 2011, but do to limited NASA funding, it won't be able to launch until 2013.

OCO will fly in close formation with NASA's Aqua satellite, which maps the precipitation and evaporation of water around the globe, and the Aura satellite, which maps atmospheric composition and the ozone layer. The data from these three satellites can used together in scientific analyses, because the mappings reflect observations of the same position at approximately the same time.

These satellites are part of NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS). The flagship of the system, Terra, maps incoming and outgoing radiation over the surface of the Earth. EOS is a leading source of data for climate scientists around the world.  OCO will add unprecedented insight into the carbon cycle and its interaction with other climatological processes.

[The last sane American]

08:09 AM on 12/03/2010

"but due to limited NASA funding,"

By the "pro-science" President of this United States.

Another good one , Mr President!

[WryAwry]

09:32 AM on 12/03/2010

... and I always thought that carbon was the densest material ...

[Oomingmak]

03:06 PM on 12/03/2010

Obama increased NASA's 2010 budget by nearly $1 billion. If they still have insufficient funding, it's because President Boy George started an unnecessary $3 trillion war in Iraq.

Do your homework first. No, wait, you're a conservative, so "truthiness" will get you by.

[truthisneeded]

10:10 PM on 12/02/2010

great job google and great job Brazil!