Technology and Environment are not mutually exclusive. Google, which wants to be at the forefront of the fight against global warming, has understood this perfectly by launching EIE (Environmental insights explorer). This free tool, launched in 2018, provides city planners with precise data on the carbon footprint of certain cities. We come back to the latest nugget from the famous search engine.
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A detailed mapping of cities' CO2 emissions by Google (EIE)
This initiative by the American giant, in collaboration with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), is currently available mainly in England with more than 75 cities. EIE provides a detailed mapping of cities’ CO2 emissions. In particular, this provides data ranging from general to more specific such as emissions from transport and buildings. It includes also air quality or solar potential on rooftops. Using location data from Google Maps, the EIE can, for example, identify the size of a building and thus determine whether it is a house or an office, and aggregate it to local networks to estimate its size. energy consumption. It can even examine traffic, modes of travel or even distances traveled.
Satellite view
In addition, it is able to analyze satellite images to determine which roofs are best suited to solar power. In addition, it also provides links to other essential information, such as ways to reduce emissions. It is then possible to modify or customize the emission factors to play out specific scenarios. Accessible to all, EIE allows users to select cities to find out their current carbon footprint. But this tool is aimed in particular at town planners.
Google EIE, a tool that allows small and medium-sized towns to think about and act for the climate thanks to Google
Many cities, such as New York or Berlin, have pledged to reduce their carbon footprint by 80% over the next 30 years. But small and medium-sized cities do not necessarily have the same resources to achieve this and thus effectively fight against global warming. This is why Google has decided to reshuffle the cards with its latest nugget, EIE. Indeed, its use is quite extensive and precise.
This tool will allow municipalities to receive particularly precise data on air quality and thus represents a real opportunity for these cities which also want to act for the environment. EIE is therefore designed to make this data collection much simpler. It is more fluid by allowing cities to complete their current data inventories in just a few clicks. This will therefore allow town planners to have sufficiently precise information to consider specific projects such as the construction of a new transmission line, in particular by estimating the impact of the line on the city’s emissions profile. But eventually, Google plans to expand its reach by providing this information to thousands of cities and regions around the world.
Technological giants serving the climate (EIE)
The EIE is the product of other projects, such as Google’s climate-related Project Air View, which has announced that it is making local air quality data available. As part of this Project Air View, started in 2018, Copenhagen was chosen to equip Google Street View vehicles with scientific instruments to measure air quality at street level. Originally reserved for scientists and the city council, this data is now available to the general public. So far there have only been three fixed stations monitoring air quality. But they are present in part to check the consistency of this information collected by Google.
The EIE Labs, the set of Google’s climate-related projects, have produced a significant collection of high-quality data on the carbon impact of cities, essential for encouraging collective action. they are thus part of the company’s plans to carry out sustainable initiatives. Google is therefore one of the forerunners in green actions, as tech companies increasingly compete to be the greenest of all. Microsoft is announcing the goal of achieving 60% renewable energy consumption in its data centers by 2020. Apple, for its part, says it is now powered 100% by renewable energy around the world. HP, which is committed to ensuring that every page printed is carbon neutral, and Dell, these are so many giants of the technology industry who have made a contribution to the climate.
Tech at the service of the environment
Technology and environment are not incompatible, quite the contrary!
EIE is one of the many examples of actions that show that technology can greatly facilitate the fight against global warming. Whether it is for policy makers or the general public. Thanks in particular to these new tools, we can now all act on our own scale.
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Three ideas to remember
What is Google EIE?
The EIE is an initiative of Google, in collaboration with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM). It is available in England with over 75 cities. This is a detailed map of the CO2 emissions of cities. In particular, this provides data ranging from general to more specific, such as air quality. The EIE allows users to select cities to find out their current carbon footprint.
What is the benefit of technology for the climate?
Technology and environment are not mutually exclusive. facilitate the fight against global warming, whether for decision-makers or the general public. We can all act on our own scale. EIE is useful for small and medium-sized towns. They can thus receive particularly precise data on air quality and act accordingly to combat global warming.
What are the internet giants' initiatives for the environment?
The giants of the web are committed to the environment. There are many projects. The EIE and Project Air View, from Google, Microsoft and its goal of achieving 60% renewable energy consumption in its data centers by 2020, Apple which wants to be powered 100% by renewable energy. Or HP, which is committed to ensuring that every printed page is carbon neutral.