New vision of climate change through Google Earth

21 May 2008

Millions of Google Earth users around the world will be able to see how climate change could affect the planet and its people over the next century, along with viewing the loss of Antarctic ice shelves over the last 50 years, thanks to a new project launched this week.

The project, Climate Change in Our World, is the product of a collaboration between Google, the UK Government, the Met Office Hadley Centre and the British Antarctic Survey to provide two new 'layers', or animations, available to all users of Google Earth. Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched it on Monday 19 May at the Google Zeitgeist conference.

One layer uses authoritative science from the UK's Met Office Hadley Centre to show world temperatures throughout the next hundred years under medium projections of greenhouse gas emissions, along with stories of how people are already being affected by changing weather patterns. Users can also access information on action that can be taken by individuals, communities, businesses and governments to tackle climate change, and it highlights good work already underway.

The second layer, developed by the British Antarctic Survey, shows the retreat of Antarctic ice shelves since the 1950s, and features facts about climate change science and impacts in the Antarctic.

Discover more at Google Earth - Climate Change and Google Earth - Climate Change Antarctica.

Footage of Antarctic scenery and science in action (as seen on Climate Change in Our World) is available to download from the BAS FTP site.

The British Antarctic Survey is one of the Natural Environment Research Council's research centres.

Further information

Athena Dinar
Press Office
British Antarctic Survey
Tel: 01223 221414
Mob: 07740 822229

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

New vision of climate change through Google Earth

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