In addition to increasing its internet power, Google has decided now is a good time to help save the Earth until it is too late. So yesterday Google has come up with a $4.4 trillion Clean Energy 2030 plan. The plan is intended to solve many of the acute energy and environmental problems in the country. Google suggests this plan for the public discussion which could eventually make the US government implement some of the plan’s ideas.
According to this plan green living will arrive only 22 years and 4.4 trillion dollars later but it does not sound too ambitious and many of the ideas look to be absolutely realistic - so implementing them must be possible if the next administration chooses environment as one of its priorities.
The plan consists of a few basic ideas. First of all, the plan is aimed at reducing coal share in energy production by switching mainly to wind, solar, and geothermal energy sources. Another important factor is reducing oil and gas consumption - mainly by replacing existing cars with electric and hybrid ones by offering various incentives for citizens to purchase more environmentally friendly alternatives. Another aspect is to stimulate wiser consumption of energy by citizens by using smart meters at home so that we knew exactly what we consume. For further details everyone is invited to visit a dedicated Knol page where Google describes the clean energy plan in details (finally a reason to visit Knol, by the way).
Google’s concerns over environment are no doubt very timely given the fact that the US currently is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (if not the largest - there is some serious uncertainty in the US and China competition in this dubious competition). Besides, the US is the only developed country that has not ratified the Kyoto protocol that is intended to help improve the global warming problem. So at least taking some actions locally sounds like a good idea - and something definitely very much needed.
It is of course quite difficult to imagine the government that is resisting all international attempts to make the US manufacturers reduce greenhouse gases emission to follow the green plan suggested by Google. But there could be some hope for the plan since the introduction blog post stated: “With a new Administration and Congress - and multiple energy-related imperatives - this is an opportune, perhaps unprecedented, moment to move from plan to action”. Hopefully this somehow means that Eric Schmidt and the energy team have some reasons to hope that his initiatives will have a chance for support with legislators - where everyone else (including the United Nations) failed.
Actually I seem to see slightly selfish aspect in the plan for Google as well. the thing is that such a plan is quite logical given the fact that Google itself has already invested some $45 million in various startups working with wind, solar, and geothermal energy. While it is obvious that any large-scale actions are supposed to happen with government support only, it is equally obvious that for such startups to start working efficiently (and generate revenue) it is a prerequisite that their technologies are needed in the country. So implementation of such a plan will probably also result in some additional income to Google through the startups it invested in.
Right now chances are the financial crisis will simply make manufacturers cut on emissions and the US will still have some fresh air to breath - at least until this plan (or some of the previously introduced similar plans) is implemented and the US energy consumption is all environmentally friendly. In the meanwhile I will stay wondering how long it will take Google to come up with some initiative to save our sinful souls (hopefully globally).
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