Best Online Tools for Climate Change Education, Mitigation, and Solutions

Three of the internet's best online tools for climate change education, mitigation and solutions: Google Climate Change, Climate Action Map, and the Department of Energy's Database of State Initiatives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE):

Climate change education: Google. Originally developed for COP15 (Conference of the Parties on Climate Change 15) and launched in September of 2009, Google's landing page for climate change features 13 videos of Google Earth driven presentations. The narrators are leaders of climate change solutions: former VP and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, Standford climatologist Steve Schneider, scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar, actor Ted Danson, as well as organizations like Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), and Conservation International. Quick tip: click on a Google climate change video then click the link "View Tour in 3D," which is a tour of the globe conveying visually what climate change will do to the planet. Another tip: click the link to download the Google Earth layer to explore the information on your own. The screen shot provided presents the fact that climate change will affect some areas more severely than others, but in general temperature is to rise 6.4C (11 degrees F). Carbon emissions and ocean acidification are topics covered as well.

The best way to showcase cities making solutions for climate change is Climate Action Map. The site provides a common space for cities across the world to showcase their projects, providing a one of a kind, visually-appealing virtual database. The "mission of the Local Climate Action Map is to educate, inform and inspire governments, communities and businesses about the innovative climate action activities taking place at the local level all over the world, using cutting edge web-based geo-spatial visualization tools" (ClimateActionMap.org, 2009). A mission statement that echoes the omnipresent call to action: "Think Globally, Act Locally." This site featuring cities around the world was founded by Local Government Denmark and nonprofit Baltic Sea Solutions; sponsored in the US by the National League of Cities (NLC) is a global effort.

Best for learning about renewable energy incentives in the US is DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency). The navigation is also map-centric, but the site's real value comes from the plethora of information on government incentives to provide energy efficient buildings and renewable energy. Take sustainable construction in Nevada for example: click the Nevada state map to learn that a LEED Silver energy efficient building Nevada offers a 25% reduction of the property tax payable each year up to 35% with a LEED Platinum certification. The information is summarized, concise and clear, courtesy of the "North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). It is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), primarily through the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis (PBA)."

The websites for the best online tools for climate change education, mitigation and solutions such as renewable energy and green buildings are: Google.com/landing/cop15, ClimateActionMap.org, and http://www.dsireusa.org.

Photo Credit: Google Earth