According to a BBC news item "Google 'airbrushes' out emissions from flying, BBC reveals" (here), Google has modified the algorithm that it uses to calculate the impact on climate change of flights that appear in the Google Flights search tool.
Read the article for more detail but it seems that Google has removed a key element from the calculation resulting in flights looking like they contribute a lot less to climate change.
Basically, only CO2 emissions are left in the calculation. All the other emissions: nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulphur oxides (SOX), unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM) and sootgases have been dropped. All of these have an impact on global warming and on health. Read more here.
It seems like large corporations will do anything to return to business as usual as far as possible irrespective the damage done. Planting trees to offset carbon emissions while still emitting the same amount of carbon is another example of avoidance of responsibility. The major oil companies spending a tiny percentage of their huge profits on converting to green technology while trumpeting what they are doing is yet another. It's called "Greenwashing"
Comments