Google wants its users to stay "cool" for the summer! The tech giant is taking steps to help communities prepare for and adapt to the effects of rising heat with a series of new initiatives.
People bathe during the fires in Renaico, Araucania region, Chile on February 4, 2023. - Chile has declared a state of disaster in several central-southern regions after a devastating heat wave provoked forest fires that left four people dead, authorities said on Friday.
Extreme Heat Alerts on Google Search
This includes new extreme heat alerts on Search, AI-powered tools to help communities handle hotter temperatures, and supporting more organizations taking action to address extreme heat.
According to the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN), extreme heat kills nearly 500,000 people every year, and heat-related deaths are on the rise.
To help people stay safe during extreme weather events, Google is rolling out new extreme heat alerts in Search in the coming months.
When people search for information on extreme heat, they will see details on when a heat wave is predicted to start and end, tips on staying cool, and related health concerns to be aware of.
AI-Powered Tool Tree Canopy
Cities are also looking for ways to prevent "heat islands," urban areas that experience higher temperatures due to structures that absorb and re-emit heat.
Google's Environmental Insights Explorer includes Tree Canopy, an AI-powered tool that combines aerial imagery with machine learning to help cities understand their current tree coverage and plan urban forestry initiatives.
The City of Austin has already used the tool to prioritize planting trees in vulnerable areas of the city and even used it to help place bus shelters to increase shade.
Tree Canopy has now been expanded from 14 to nearly 350 cities globally, with plans to expand to thousands more cities this year.
This expansion has the potential to help hundreds of millions of people by creating cooler environments. Another way to address heat islands is through the use of cool roofs, which reflect sunlight and absorb less heat.
Google is exploring how AI algorithms and aerial imagery can be used to help more places implement cool roofs.
By mapping out the solar reflectivity of cities, urban planners and governments can identify the areas that would benefit the most from cool roofs. Google will soon begin piloting this tool with select cities.
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Google Impact Challenge
Google introduced a $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge last year, inviting charity organizations to propose innovative plans for tackling climate change.
Now, it announced World Resources Institute (WRI) as the first recipient. WRI will get $5 million to support its effort to close data gaps, model air temperature, humidity, surface reflectance, tree cover, and heat vulnerability.
"Alongside Google's efforts, WRI's project will help decision-makers understand where to implement cool surface infrastructure - such as trees and reflective surfaces - to reduce the impact of extreme heat," Google wrote in its latest blog post.
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