A lot has already been said about what all human beings can do, but despite everything, there remains an awful little that we do better than growing on a consistent basis. This commitment towards continuous progression has brought the world some huge milestones, with technology emerging as quite a major member of the group. The reason why we hold technology in such a high regard is, by and large, predicated upon its skill-set, which guided us towards a reality that nobody could have ever imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look beyond the surface for one hot second, it will become abundantly clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component, in fact, did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and as a result, initiated a full-blown tech revolution. Of course, the next thing this revolution did was to scale up the human experience through some outright unique avenues, but even after achieving a feat so notable, technology will somehow continue to bring forth the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident in recent times, and assuming Google’s latest move ends up with the desired impact, it will only put that trend on a higher pedestal moving forward.
Google has officially launched a series of updates, alongside various expanded AI tools, to help us reduce tailpipe emissions and better predict floods, wildfires, and extreme heat. According to certain reports, the stated updates flurry begins from the way Google will display search results related to EV. You see, from here onwards, anyone who wishes to inquire more about EVs before buying one will be able to, for starters, access details like possible government incentives, translating to the federal EV tax credit in the US. Such information can educate people regarding any potential discounts that their preferred vehicle might have on the offer. Next up, the new and improved search results will tell users all what they need to know regarding how they can drive on a single charge, while simultaneously allowing them to customize routes based on elevation changes and speed limits. This customization ability should help when it comes to gauging the amount of charging stops one might need along their journey. To get you the stated information, Google is reportedly tapping into Knowledge Graph, the company’s database of billions of facts about people, places, and things. Apart from that, the search engine giant is also banking upon load data from the EPA, which captures factors such as rolling friction, aerodynamics, and mechanical friction. Complementing the EV proposition is a dedicated fuel cost calculator and fuel-efficient routing feature. The former hands you an ability to compare your per-mile costs, thus helping you gain a better idea about your savings when switching from gas to electric powertrains. As for the fuel-efficient routing feature, it leverages AI to suggest routes with fewer hills, less traffic, and constant speeds, routes that either allow same or at least a similar ETA.
Moving on to another update, this one focuses on cycling routes in Google Maps. Owing to the latest update, the search engine will now collaborate with local governments across the globe to install hundreds of kilometers of new bike lanes to its navigation tools. This further solidifies Google’s longstanding bid to introduce better multimodal directions for people who want to use multiple sustainable modes of transportation, like cycling, transit, and walking. However, the company isn’t just aiming to improve sustainability on roads, considering it also has an aviation-related update, which marks the expansion of its effort to cut back on harmful contrails left behind by airplanes. In case you aren’t aware, earlier this year, Google announced a partnership with American Airlines and Bill Gates’ climate investment fund, Breakthrough Energy, to conceive routes where the risk of contrails is at its lowest.
Talk about building upon a previously introduced initiative, the tech behemoth also took this opportunity to widen the footprint of its Project Green Light. First launched back in 2021, the stated project vows to take on the problem of stop-and-go traffic which tends to produce greater pollution than normal. You see, according to studies, the emission rates at a place like intersection is almost 29% higher than on open roads. Google’s Project Green Light presents a solution by using AI to let traffic engineers tweak traffic lights so cars and trucks can move more smoothly. The whole system expected to be used here is also very simplistic, as one can implement and activate it in about 5 minutes. Going by the performance seen so far, the project has managed to bring down stops by a sizeable 30%.
Hold on, there is more. As a part of the runner, Google is also bringing the prospect of efficient energy consumption to your house. Hence, whenever people search about home heating and cooling systems like “boilers” or “air conditioning,” they’ll see information about other sustainable options, including their capabilities, their energy efficiency, and associated financial government incentives. This data is supplemented by EPA’s Energy Star and energy.gov in the US. Moving on, we now must get into Google’s decision to update Google Earth and make it easier for planners to reach on the best building designs and solar options across urban areas. The purpose of such a move is to enhance planners’ understanding related to solar reflectivity of different surface areas. Making this understanding even stronger are certain insights that Google will provide to help cities in identifying neighborhoods that would benefit the most from an investment. To deliver on its promise here, the company will depend on its “Cool Roofs” tool, which again is rooted in artificial intelligence, alongside aerial imagery.
Another Google update talks to expanding the availability of its Flood Hub tool, which is designed to help us better predict floods. Already serving over 80 countries, the tool will now cover 800 riverside locations across US and Canada. Within the context of natural disaster, the company is also improving its fire spread model, which it launched in 2020 to inform users on wildfire boundaries in near real time. Lastly, Google will enable 2,000 new cities to access its tree canopy tool, a tool well-versed in mapping out where trees are needed the most so to keep residents cool.
