Google introduced new features on its Search, Maps and other apps that provide users with eco-friendly information to help them make more sustainable decisions.
The move is part of Alphabet-owned company's efforts to encourage sustainability.
"Climate change is no longer a distant threat – it’s increasingly local and personal. Around the world, wildfires, flooding and other extreme weather continue to affect our health, our economies and our future together on our planet," Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet and Google, said in a blog post.
"We need urgent and meaningful solutions to address this pressing challenge."
Google claims it was the first major company to become carbon neutral in 2007 and match its energy use with 100 per cent renewable energy in 2017. Last year, it committed to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.
Eco-friendly products are becoming mainstream as people are encouraged to contribute more to tackle climate change and its undesirable effects.
Data from Conservation International shows that July 2021 was the hottest month on record – 0.93 degrees Celsius higher than the 20th-century average – since records began in 1880. And as of that month, the concentration, or amount of gas by volume in the air, of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere was the highest in history at 416 million parts per million.
Travel and shopping
As part of its latest update, Google will display information about carbon emissions on its Flights service, where users can view emissions per seat and other carbon-friendly options that are readily available.
Sustainability efforts taken by hotels such as water conservation to waste reduction, as well as certifications by environment benchmark sites Green Key or EarthCheck, will also be displayed in searches to enable users to make an informed choice.
Richard Holden, Google's vice president of travel products, said they combined data from the European Environmental Agency with flight-specific information derived from airlines and other providers.
"It’s critical that people can find consistent and accurate carbon emissions estimates no matter where they want to research or book their trip."
Results on Google Shopping, meanwhile, will now display information on energy-intensive products such as water heaters and dishwashers, with suggestions to help narrow down results to sustainable options.
Maps
Maps, one of Google's most widely-used features, will also have a new eco-friendly routing. The service, which was announced earlier this year, shows fuel consumption data on routes, allowing users to choose the quickest and sustainable routes.
It also highlights the most eco-friendly route, even if it is not the fastest. The service is now live in the US but Google plans to expand this in Europe and other territories by next year.
Vehicles on the road account for more than 75 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions and are one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gases, according to Google, which quoted data from the International Energy Agency.
The US Environmental Protection Agency says a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Google also introduced lite navigation for cyclists, where important route details are displayed without the need to switching on a phone's screen or entering turn-by-turn navigation. The feature will be coming soon, the search engine company said.
Bike and scooter sharing information, meanwhile, is now available in 300 cities. The use of these vehicles have become a popular eco-friendly travel alternative. The use of biking directions on its Maps app have grown by up to 98 per cent, according to Google.
Clean energy at home
Nest, Google's smart home products unit, has introduced Nest Renew and its Energy Shift feature. The new service for Nest thermostats helps users automatically shift electricity usage for heating and cooling to times when energy is cleaner or less expensive. It also provides monthly impact reports that show how the entire Nest community has contributed to reducing emissions.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat - it’s increasingly local and personal. Around the world, wildfires, flooding and other extreme weather continue to affect our health, our economies and our future together on our planet
Sundar Pichai,
chief executive of Alphabet and Google
Data from RMI, a non-profit organisation advocating clean energy, shows that homes consume the most amounts of energy in the US, with household-level energy decisions driving 40 per cent of energy-related carbon emissions.
"Many people are eager to live more sustainably and help address one of our generation’s most profound challenges: climate change," Ben Brown, director of product management at Google, said in a blog post.
"The problem is that it can be hard to know where to start and whether you’re making a real difference."
Google also said that it was helping to develop new climate change solutions for its business customers, including for appliance maker Whirlpool, e-commerce company Etsy, British lender HSBC, consumer goods manufacturer Unilever and software company Salesforce. Google will also announce more sustainability options at its Cloud Next ‘21 event next week.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
