Plus the launch of Nest Renew for your smart thermostat
Like so many big companies these days, Google’s very concerned about the environment, and loves sharing with us all the steps it’s taking to be a good corporate citizen. Those have invovled efforts like reducing the amount of carbon-based energy used to power its campuses and data centers. Today Google’s announcing its latest progress along those lines, including new environmental data in response to user searches, the introduction of the Nest Renew program, some tweaks to Maps, and an ambitious plan that may one day have Google controlling the traffic lights in your town.
Think about it: Maps already has tons of data about where we go, and when. If it can use that information to optimize our routes, why can’t it also use it to optimize when the traffic lights change? That’s just what Google’s been doing for an experiment in Israel, and it’s demonstrated the capacity to reduce fuel consumption. Up next, Google’s planning to expand that project for tests in Rio de Janeiro.
Earlier this year Google announced a new mode for Maps that would prioritize eco-friendly routes and that’s finally arriving today in the US (2022 for Europe). The system considers factors like road slope and congestion, and will prioritize routes that may take ever so slightly longer for you to reach your destination, but are far more gentle on the environment. Maps is also picking up more information about bike shares in markets around the globe, and plans to introduce a new bicycling-focused “lite” navigation mode sometime in the next few months.
Not all energy is created the same, and Nest Renew aims to connect homeowners with the most affordable and eco-friendly options available. Renew Basic is the free tier, and in addition to providing you a monthly report on your environmental impact, it allows you to use tools like Energy Shift, moving more of your consumption to times when greener energy sources are available. For $10 a month subscribers can upgrade to Renew Premium, which provides access to renewable energy credits to offset your carbon consumption.
Finally, we’re leaning about a lot of little ways Google is going to be giving us more information about products and services that minimize our environmental impact. Travel will highlight sustainable hotels and start providing data about how much CO2 your flights are generating, even tailoring that to your specific seat (sorry, first-class travelers, but you suck for the environment). Finance will make it easy to identify and invest in sustainable companies, and Shopping will offer tips about energy-hungry appliances. A bit further down the line, Search will start showing a lot more info about electric cars, aiding comparisons, and even identifying local charging spots.
None of these efforts by themselves will turn back the clock on climate change, but hopefully each of them will make a little impact that helps push us further and further in the right direction.
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