UNEP official: Every dollar invested in reviving degraded lands brings up to $30 in returns
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said every ...
New Google Maps sustainability tools to help access up-to-date environmental information
Google has introduced new sustainability tools on the Google Maps Platform that will apply AI and machine learning, along with aerial imagery and environmental data, to provide up-to-date information about solar potential, air quality and pollen levels. With this technology, developers, businesses and organizations can build tools that map and mitigate environmental impact.
To encourage the use of solar technology, Google launched Project Sunroof in 2015 to help people explore the estimated solar potential and savings in their area. Companies soon became interested in accessing this information too, and now, Google is offering this information to businesses. Google’s new Solar API uses mapping and computing resources to make detailed rooftop solar potential data available for more than 320 million buildings across 40 countries, like the U.S., France and Japan.
To get these insight, Google trained an AI model to extract 3D information about the roof geometry directly from aerial imagery, along with details about trees and shade. Plus, the Solar API accounts for factors like historical weather patterns in the area, energy costs and more. This means that businesses like solar installers can see how much sunlight buildings receive and potential energy savings, before even visiting the area. In turn, this technology allows homeowners to more quickly and easily install solar panels and contribute sustainable energy to the grid.
In addition to mitigating emissions, Google is also focused on helping people adapt to the changing climate. Last year, it launched an air quality layer in Google Maps so people can make informed decisions about where to go and what to do, which has been especially relevant with wildfires affecting so many people globally. With a growing global need for better air quality information, the company built its Air Quality API in Google Maps Platform. The API shows reliable air quality data, pollution heatmaps and pollutant details for more than 100 countries around the world.
This API validates and organizes several terabytes of data each hour from multiple data sources — including government monitoring stations, meteorological data, sensors and satellites — to provide a local and universal index. Part of this calculation involves looking at live traffic information to understand congestion data and car volume in an area, and it uses machine learning to predict different pollutants in that area at a given time. This process offers companies in healthcare, auto, transportation and more the ability to provide accurate and timely air quality information to their users, wherever they are.
The rise in temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions also causes pollen-producing plants to grow in more places and pollen production to increase, creating additional adverse effects for those with seasonal allergies.
Its new Pollen API shows current pollen information for the most common allergens in over 65 countries. The API provides localized pollen count data, heatmap visualizations, detailed plant allergen information, and actionable tips for allergy-sufferers to limit exposure. To get this information, it uses machine learning to determine where specific pollen-producing plants are located. Together with local wind patterns, it can calculate the seasonality and daily amount of pollen grains and predict how the pollen will spread.
With this information, companies that want to help people make healthier decisions have access to data-based insights. For example, a travel planning app can use this pollen information to improve planning for daily commutes or vacations.
With these three new Google Maps Platform APIs, businesses can access comprehensive and up-to-date environmental information to develop sustainability products and help people adapt to the impacts of climate change. Google is dedicated to building tools that organize environmental information and make this data useful for companies, cities and partners so we can all take collective action.
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