How AI and Tech is Revolutionizing the Fight Against Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues the world is facing today. With that, companies are attempting to create tech and utilize artificial intelligence to fight global warming better. As I mentioned in my earlier article on geoengineering, the primary strategies for current climate change are mitigation and adaptation. Along with the attempts to deal with climate change, there is also a high need for technology to understand the scope and nature of the changes that are taking place. In this piece, I’ll highlight three examples of technology that represent each of these concerns — understanding climate, mitigating the impact of greenhouse gases, and adapting to the events being unleashed by climate change.
Using Data to Understand Effects of Climate Change: Satellite Lasers to Create a Freshwater Survey
NASA scientists conducted the first global computation of water levels in Earth’s lakes and reservoirs to investigate humans’ impact on freshwater resources. The research relied on satellites that send 10,000 laser light pulses every second down to Earth. When reflected, the pulses deliver high-precision surface height measurements throughout the satellite’s orbit. The laser technology allows for immense amounts of data to be collected, enabling scientists to better comprehend the changes within the Earth’s surface and track them over time.
As the human population increases, freshwater is constantly in greater demand. Additionally, climate change alters how water moves through the hydrological cycle; however, this new process will allow scientists to track these fluctuations much quicker and create the necessary precautions.
Alternatives Forms of Energy to Reduce Reliance on Greenhouse Gases: A New Way to Harvest Energy from Ocean Waves
The Stevens Institute of Technology is attempting to design a way to harness the power of waves off the coast of the United States — a project supported and subsidized by the US Department of Energy. They are developing a device that floats and oscillates with the waves and tides to generate renewable energy to power coastal communities or the larger grid during a blackout. Although researchers believe that waves along the coast have the potential to supply half of the United States’ power needs, technology ready for widespread use is not yet available. The device consists of a flat platform, moored to the sea bottom, which rides passing waves. A pair of flaps atop the platform are oscillated by each wave, turning a generator and producing energy.
The energy within the movement of waves has enormous potential to provide the country with an additional renewable energy source. If we can harness the ocean’s energy along our coast, this will have numerous advantages over other clean energy sources, including solar energy and wind power. For example, unlike solar energy, which only produces electricity during the daylight hours, wave energy would provide renewable power throughout the day with slight fluctuation. Moreover, wave energy is present throughout all coasts, unlike wind energy which requires specific environments with high winds to provide a meaningful amount of energy. This said, installing large devices on the ocean floor or floating on the surface can potentially damage the species. With the proper environmental consideration, these devices can be incredibly helpful in supporting the clean energy cause.
Using Data to Manage the Impact of Climate Change: AI is Becoming a Critical Tool in Fighting Wildfires
While battling wildfires in California, many agencies utilize AI to predict the spread of fires and guide firefighting crews and evacuations. According to Cal Fire, wildfires in California have burned more than 3.8 million acres in 2021 alone, leading to many firefighting efforts in the state.
In response to the recent blazes, Cal Fire has started rolling out a Wildfire Analyst Enterprise tool that analyzes weather conditions, moisture content of ground vegetation, satellite images, and more data. Wildfire Analyst Enterprise utilizes machine learning techniques that compare current fires against historical fire behaviors to predict where a fire might be headed and when it is likely to arrive. The tool also allows officials to create simulations based on potential changes in conditions or incident responses and assess risks based on future weather conditions.
These tools are incredibly helpful in instructing agencies on allocating resources to specific areas and what areas need to be evacuated.
These examples show that AI and technology can play an integral role in not only understanding how climate change is impacting our environment but also put together solutions that help mitigate the impact of greenhouse gases and also help adapt to the changes in order to prevent the loss of human life.
