Google Earth zooms in on dangerous climate change

A new interactive Google Earth map showing the plausible impacts of climate change was launched today by the government.

The map has been developed using peer-reviewed science from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other leading impact scientists, and is based on Google Earth technology to illustrate what would happen should the global average temperature rise by 4°C above the pre-industrial climate average.

The idea is to visualise scientific information and promote better understanding of the potential human impacts of climate change. It considers areas including agriculture and the effect on crop productivity and food production, water availability, sea-level rises and carbon emissions.

The site also lends a human face to the issue, featuring videos of climate scientists from the UK explaining the latest scientific research behind the climate impacts shown, and videos of FCO and British Council climate change projects currently underway around the world.

Launching the map, Foreign Office minister Henry Bellingham said: "We are committed to being the greenest government ever. This Google Earth map supports that commitment to tackling climate change and will hopefully communicate with a bigger audience globally about why the UK government is being active in championing the transition to a low-carbon economy."

Also speaking at the launch, Greg Barker, energy and climate change minister, said: "This map reinforces our determination to act against dangerous man-made climate change. We know the stakes are high and that’s why we want to help secure an ambitious global climate change deal."

Vicky Pope from the Met Office said: "If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, global average temperatures could increase by 4°C by the end of the century, and possibly as early as 2060. This new mapping on to Google Earth illustrates some of the potential impacts of such a rise. It uses the latest climate and impact science to highlight the consequences of not reducing emissions."

The Copenhagen Accord already commits countries to limiting average global temperature increases to 2°C. The UK government is committed to keeping global temperatures as low as practical to avoid dangerous levels of climate change and is working to secure an ambitious global deal which achieves this.

Ed Parsons at Google said the map was a great example of the benefits of using the latest web technology to visualise scientific information and promote better understanding of the potential human impacts of climate change. " Allowing scientists to talk about their research to the general public is a way to enable the public to fully understand how the process of scientific investigation works," he added.