Google Maps Becomes an Environmental Watchdog

As world leaders gather in Paris hoping to halt the damage caused by climate change, Google Maps has introduced a feature that allows users to view endangered plant and animal species. According to AFP, Google’s Street View feature has evolved from simply viewing landscapes outside of work or home to being a tool for explorers to discover mountains, forests, and oceans. One application includes researchers' efforts to study the declining number of water oak trees, which have significantly decreased due to climate change over the past few years. Some maps show creatures like polar bears that are critically dependent on ice formation in the cold regions of Canada, but this is not happening due to rising temperatures. Karin Taxon Bateman, the program manager for Google Earth, states, 'From polar bears in northern Canada to communities living in the Brazilian Amazon and water oak trees in central California, the impact of climate change on plants, animals, and people is visible worldwide.' She adds, 'Street View opens a window to the changing ecosystem of the world and teaches us how some non-profit organizations are working with others to help keep our planet healthy.' The special Street View camera, called 'Tracker,' was employed by the company Polar Bear International to track polar bears in Manitoba while the ice they depend on is disappearing. The company has placed images taken by Street View on its website and prepared a program for students to learn more about the environment. The Brazilian non-profit organization 'FAS' used the 'Tracker' tool to take photos of the Amazon rainforest and map marginalized local communities. 'FAS' created images of three natural resource species in the Amazon and used them for educating about tropical forest conservation and sustainable ecosystem management. The goal of this program is to present a more realistic face of climate change to the public and encourage them to explore remote areas virtually and understand the truth that the world's beauties are at risk of destruction due to climate change. Taxon Bateman states, 'Street View is excellent at showing the effects of climate change. We use this capability for climate measurements to help scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, and citizens make better decisions.' Methane analyzers are also embedded in the Street View project to help identify sources of this gas. Programs have also been implemented to measure various environmental pollutants in collaboration with the environmental specialist company 'Aclima' in different parts of California. Although there have been criticisms of Google’s programs and projects regarding violations of citizens' privacy, it seems that the company's technologies are increasingly activated to improve research conditions regarding climate change. Taxon Bateman says, 'We are turning Street View cars into environmental sensors. These vehicles will first be deployed in areas of California.' In this context, more than half of the tree species in the Amazon are at risk of extinction.