Tech giants commit to helping Obama spread word on climate change
Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama is getting some help from the country's tech giants in his effort to show Americans how climate change will affect their communities.
The private sector commitments from firms like Google and Microsoft come at the same time the White House announced Wednesday a new government initiative to make public data related to climate more accessible to the public, with the goal of spurring better preparation and prevention for eventual changes to Americans' environment.
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The Obama administration thinks that local data, which may have a real-world effect on Americans' lives, will provide a convincing argument for steps to prevent climate change. The risk rising sea levels have on individual communities will be the focus of a new website, climate.data.gov, which uses government data to put environmental changes in context.
The White House also called on tech companies to develop tools for Americans to better get a grasp on how climate change could affect them.
Google, for example, is committing cloud computing infrastructure to help create maps that show the risks of extreme drought. Google's home state of California has withstood a historic drought this year that's severely affected its large agricultural sector.
Microsoft said it would award a year of free cloud computing resources to climate scientists who enter a company-sponsored competition.
Obama has pledged to renew his efforts on climate change during his second term, including using executive actions that bypass Congress. He's introduced new regulations on truck emissions and created so-called "climate hubs" that help businesses prepare for the effects of climate change.
Last month Obama proposed a new $1 billion climate preparedness fund, though Congressional approval seems unlikely, at least ahead of November's midterm elections.
Obama and his administration are also approaching a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental groups argue the project would contribute to climate change since it wouldn't help reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.
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Liberals are so goofy.
Will Google and Microsoft make scientific data available to Fox and Dean too?
Why they don't they help him create jobs for us American citizens. That is what we need here in our country. Let him start doing some work to help to produce jobs. He has been getting a free ride for too long now. Time for him to start producing something positive for us.
I'm doing my part by not working. That way, I don't have to commute, which causes global warming.
The dictator seizes more and more control of everyone..........including business.
Somebody has to help Obama, he sure can't do it on his own!!!
Could any of you right wingnuts contact Boehner and persuade him to allow a vote in the house on the senate bipartisan jobs bill he has been sitting on for almost a year?
Know enough to know that don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, and Tech is not God.
@Rick McDaniel
The dictator seizes more and more control of everyone..........including business.
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right wing contradictions:
Obama is a dictator controlling everything AND a do nothing no-show president.
If Obama gets help form business he is taking over, if no help they must hate him.
I am not sure what billionaires are paying for right wing blogging, but they are wasting their money.
@Tampa Tim
Will Google and Microsoft make scientific data available to Fox and Dean too?
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Why? It will end up in the same trash bin out back. Now if you had some innuendo and conspiracy theory, they have LOTS of room.
Until China and India get on board its simply a waste of time and money.
"The dictator seizes more and more control of everyone..........including business."
Yeah, nothing screams "dictator" like private companies who agree with the POTUS and the scientists here VOLUNTARILY committing to help get the message out. Yep, truly another chance to yammer about "tyranny" and maybe spout a Nazi reference.
Conservatives are like talking point Turing Machines...can't deviate from the rules and the rules are all broken because they output nothing but garbage.
"Until China and India get on board its simply a waste of time and money."
Right....because if three people are peeing in the pool, it's clearly not worth bothering to do anything about it if you can only get them to stop one at a time.
"Let him start doing some work to help to produce jobs"
Soooo, Google and Microsoft won't be creating any jobs to manage and implement these projects they voluntarily agreed to do at the POTUS' initiative? Interesting.
So now it’s time for the American people to use another browser not Google; see if less revenue changes their minds about their politics!
smith
Sound reasoning....NOT.
Dean
"Liberals are so goofy", but it takes a real conservative to put thousands of people in graves. What are you spouting off about?
Reggie53
Why they don't they help him create jobs for us American citizens. That is what we need here in our country. Let him start doing some work to help to produce jobs. He has been getting a free ride for too long now. Time for him to start producing something positive for us.
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The President cannot be both Chief Executive of the United States and do the GOP's work too. The people that control Congress are the people who can make jobs- they just prefer not to.
Can we please create JOBS? Well paying jobs.... Mr. Obama... stop holding back America's prosperity!
"So now it’s time for the American people to use another browser not Google; see if less revenue changes their minds about their politics!"
This issue is not politics...it's science. As soon as you accept that, YOU and the rest of the GOP/Teatrolls will stop playing politics with it. Reality and fact denial tantrums are make this "political," not the reality, facts and overwhelming consensus of the scientific community.
It appears the truth and facts are winning. Pour all you want into it libs and waste your money.
Reg, who was it touting, jobs, jobs, jobs a few years back?
Sniffit, its the whole garbage in garbage out, that's all they know.
@Don-Put it to you this way, your in a boat and every time you bail out a bucket of water two more come in. Unless you stop those two buckets of water(China and India) you will sink.