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Guest post by Beth Coleman
A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reveals that global temperatures are likely to rise by 1.5°C by the year 2030 — which means that humans have just 12 years left to stop global warming. The alarming report also shows that human activities have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming over the years, leading to a rise in the number of hot days, with the highest increase felt in the tropics. With this, risks of droughts, tropical cyclones, and heavy precipitation are also predicted to increase.
For its part, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to keep global temperatures from rising by requiring all members to report regularly with regard to their emissions and preservation efforts. And although the urgency and unprecedented challenges of global warming are reaching a critical point, all this comes at a time of great innovation and technology. Nowhere is this more evident than with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the wide applications for which are integrated into the following:
Efficient distribution of energy
With over a hundred million users but only over 5,000 power plants, the antiquated energy grid is bound to create problems like higher electricity bills and enhanced greenhouse emissions. In response, tech giants like GE and IBM have begun building prediction and maintenance AI machines to improve awareness and efficiency of a utility grid’s system. When it comes to renewable energy, AI can help predict output based on climate data and weather forecasts from the past. This empowers plant asset managers to balance the grid better and trade in the energy market more efficiently. Disruptor Daily notes that the energy industry needs a better way to manage infrastructure — and AI could be the key.
AI can also help make consumers more aware of their energy consumption through new appliances that can be connected to home software. Moreover, this can further help experts organize the generation and delivery of energy more effectively to curb carbon emissions without destroying our everyday way of life.
Smarter ways to make food
Automated decision-making and data collection can help farmers monitor crop conditions through sensors that measure temperature, crop moisture, and soil composition. These work with drones, which gather data, to automatically apply preventive measures against widespread crop damage. Early detection and prevention can help farmers minimize water, fertilizer, and pesticide usage, which find their way into rivers, oceans, and insect populations — permanently damaging important ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Wang Degen and his company Tequ Group, a major hog farm in Southwest China’s Sichuan province, is a great example of this technology in action. The company is looking to breed 10 million pigs by 2020, using AI solutions from Alibaba Cloud to monitor and log real-time hog activity and state of health. Smart sensors are used to alert farm operators if the body temperature of a pig requires medical attention. With this technology, farmers can detect the risks of a possible illness outbreak before it spreads.
Environmentally-friendly ways to travel
Transitioning to autonomous and connected vehicles might just be the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but while these vehicles have yet to be fully developed, AI is already providing solutions to longstanding transportation issues. Verizon Connect points out the importance of effective route planning software, which can adapt to constantly changing environments. Optimized navigation and well-calculated routes lead to shorter and more efficient trips that require less energy, which in turn lower emissions. AI can also help build smarter cars. Already, engineers are coming up with vehicles like the new Nissan Leaf, a 100% electric and zero-emission car, which can help address today’s threats to the environment.
Post written for nicolecifani.com by Beth Coleman