Is Google God? Predicting Climate Catastrophes

Google Earth can predict climate-related catastrophes

Ever since a New York Times article ran in 2003, there has been debate as to whether Google is “God.”  With the recent release of  a new version of Google Earth, it certainly appears that Google is getting closer to being everywhere and knowing everything!  The tool invites you to “explore the impact of climate change,” and provides information that can help predict sea level changes, hurricanes and wildfires around the world.

Noah certainly could have used this application thousands of years ago before the Great Flood!

Excitement has been building about the Google Earth features since September this year, when a video of Al Gore appeared on YouTube.  Now, with frenetic buzz about “ClimateGate” and the opening of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen this month, there is simply no such thing as bad press for the new version of Google Earth.

One of the very first questions that came to my mind when I heard about the new version of Google Earth was…. How can Google predict climate conditions when my own weatherman cannot even accurately say whether it will rain tomorrow or not?

In case you’re not already familiar with Google Earth, it is a unique feature that allows you to “fly over” a selected area, and then zoom in for a closer look – down to street or individual property level, looking at 3-D images.

The new version of Google Earth allows you to explore IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) data, as well.

God at his Computer (Gary Larson The Far Side)

Google CEO Eric Schmidt explains:

“What you can do with Google Earth is you can not only see what we have done, but you can also think and analyze and see the changes and see them ahead of the time when the changes are irreversible.”

Don’t believe me?  Don’t believe Google?  Here’s your chance to weigh in on the debate…. Submit your comments on the YouTube COP15 channel and you could be part of the televised CNN/YouTube debate on December 15.

(p.s. make sure you don’t live in a coastal community if you are going to take on God… I mean Google…..)