Austrian group stages Google Maps climate change stunt
VIENNA: Austrian climate activists said Friday they had posted artificially altered photos of Alpine lakes and other Austrian landmarks on Google Maps to show the effects of climate change.
Last Generation Austria activists have uploaded dozens of photos of famous places altered using artificial intelligence, dating them 2070, they said.
They wanted to show how the places might look in 45 years given the effects of climate change.
AFP found the photos on Google Maps showing dried-up beds of Alpine lakes and towering glaciers with brown rocks showing through.
“We wanted to reach people… planning their vacation, looking at Google Maps… to see what the climate catastrophe will do to our beautiful home country,” spokeswoman Marina Hagen-Canaval told AFP.
Contacted by AFP, Google could not immediately comment on the campaign or if they would remove the altered images.
Last Generation Austria stages regular actions to raise awareness of climate change, such as blocking streets.
By taking their protest online, they hoped to reach even more people, said Hagen-Canaval.
Human-caused climate change is heating up the planet at an alarming rate, sparking repeated intense heatwaves, the global scientific community agrees.
A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) earlier this year warned of “catastrophic” consequences if Europe failed to take urgent action to adapt to risks posed by climate change.
Last Generation Austria activists have uploaded dozens of photos of famous places altered using artificial intelligence, dating them 2070, they said.
They wanted to show how the places might look in 45 years given the effects of climate change.
AFP found the photos on Google Maps showing dried-up beds of Alpine lakes and towering glaciers with brown rocks showing through.
“We wanted to reach people… planning their vacation, looking at Google Maps… to see what the climate catastrophe will do to our beautiful home country,” spokeswoman Marina Hagen-Canaval told AFP.
Contacted by AFP, Google could not immediately comment on the campaign or if they would remove the altered images.
Last Generation Austria stages regular actions to raise awareness of climate change, such as blocking streets.
By taking their protest online, they hoped to reach even more people, said Hagen-Canaval.
Human-caused climate change is heating up the planet at an alarming rate, sparking repeated intense heatwaves, the global scientific community agrees.
A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) earlier this year warned of “catastrophic” consequences if Europe failed to take urgent action to adapt to risks posed by climate change.