Google Earth Launches Climate Change Modeling Tools

Google Earth launches a new set of online tools this week, enabling anyone to learn about how climate change may impact them or their business and research options for managing its effects.Google is working with the Danish government on the project, and the new Google Earth layers are part of the lead up to the 15th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations’ Climate Change Convention (COP15).

If you’re Google and you need to get a host for these video tours, who do you look to? Al Gore, of course. Gore is the voice behind the first videos for the new climate modeling layers in Google Earth.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPIo7lteCZk

Google developed the project in conjunction with the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the initial tours show possible temperature and precipitation changes under a variety of global emissions scenarios over the next century. They promise more tours over the coming weeks, leading up to the COP15 conference in Copenhagen.

You can even embed narrated Google Earth layer tours on your website or blog: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0958sW2mT4&NR=1

Google is also launching a YouTube COP15 channel in conjunction with the Danish government. The goal is to provide a form for anyone to submit ideas and questions through an initiative called “Raise Your Voice.” Submitted videos will be played at COP15- top rated videos from the channel will be played to a global audience as part of the COP15 CNN/ YouTube debate on December 15.