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Google.org is working to help build a clean energy future.Introducing: Tracking Deforestation We are developing a technology prototype that enables online, global-scale observation and measurement of changes in the earth's forests. We hope this technology will help stop the destruction of the world's rapidly-disappearing forests. Emissions from tropical deforestation are comparable to the emissions of all of the European Union, and are greater than those of all cars, trucks, planes, ships and trains worldwide. According to the Stern Review, protecting the world's standing forests is a highly cost-effective way to cut carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. The United Nations has proposed a framework known as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) which would provide financial incentives to rainforest nations to protect their forests, potentially making forests worth "more alive than dead." Implementing a global REDD system will require the ability for each nation to accurately monitor and report the state of their forests over time, in an manner that is independently verifiable. However, many of the tropical nations of the world lack the technological resources to do this, so we are working with scientists, governments and non-profits to change this. Google PowerMeter and the Smart Grid
Giving people access to better information about their energy use is essential to achieving smarter and more efficient use of energy. Studies show that simply giving people access to real-time information on their energy use leads to energy savings of up to 15%. When accumulated over millions of homes, that can lead to substantial savings. If all the homes in the US achieved a 15% reduction by 2020 it would be like taking 35 million cars off the road or removing 50 large coal power plants. It would save $46 billion in annual US energy bills, or $360 per customer per year. Ensuring people have access to this information and achieving these savings will require upgrades in electricity system infrastructure as well as clear rules that ensure access to information. Smart meters, for example, can provide a conduit to energy information. Google is working with other companies, advocacy groups, and governments to raise awareness about these opportunities and ensure energy policies promote consumer access to energy information. In December at the Copenhagen climate conference, we issued a statement, along with other leading companies and nonprofits, calling on the governments of the world to provide their citizens with access to real-time energy information. In Washington, DC, we’ve been working to raise awareness and ensure national policies promote access to information. We hosted an event with GE and testified before the Senate Energy Committee. We also have encouraged the Obama Administration to ensure that stimulus funds spent on upgrading the electricity grid include direct benefits to consumers. States also have an important role to play. Most utilities are regulated by state utility commissions that set rules and approve expenditures on technologies like smart meters. In states where utilities have chosen to deploy smart meters, we are working to ensure rules ensure consumers will have direct access to data generated from the meters, and that companies like Google and others can provide services to consumers. See our comments filed in California as an example. RE<C Creating Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Innovation: In order to catalyze RE<C technologies, we need to dramatically increase funding at all stages of the development pipeline. To learn more, visit Google RE<C.
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Tracking Deforestation
Google PowerMeter
RE<C