PLANET EARTH
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE
Ruwandi Perera urges folks to don their digital armour and protect Earth
Climate conservation has finally become a global priority with extreme weather events threatening life on the planet. This year’s theme for Earth Day on 22 April is ‘Invest in our Planet.’
While some may push the ‘degrowth’ agenda and call for minimising consumption, it is easier said than done given all the challenges the world is facing. Whether we like it or not, the way forward for planet-saving measures is (digital) technology.
Though technology has been accused of accelerating Earth’s deterioration by fuelling the concrete jungle, it may also be the solution to save the planet and combat climate change. And when used right, the pluses surpass the minuses by far. Eventually, digital technologies will help us reduce our energy and resource usage without decreasing consumption.
So what’s the secret? The power to measure. If you know it, you can change it. And that’s what digital technology brings us – the ability to know.
Think about it – thanks to our smartwatches, we don’t have to guess the number of steps we take or our heart rate. Thanks to Facebook, we don’t have to keep a list of everyone who wished us for our birthday. And thanks to location sharing on WhatsApp, we don’t have to keep informing our parents or significant others where we are every five minutes!
Similarly, digital technologies can help us collect, calculate and collate data in real time, so that we can know and be in control of the resources we use, and how we use them.
For example, the latest offshore wind turbines come with AI powered tracking technologies that can chase solar rays during the day and increase production up to 45 percent more than traditional turbines. Vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence can calculate how driving style (accelerating and braking) impacts mileage.
Measurement leads to management and this is true for almost all aspects of a business from costs to employee performance. And enterprises are reaping multiple benefits from digital technology in terms of improving their environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings.
Investing in the right tech platform helps a business monitor the use of energy, water and other resources in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint. Companies can map all their processes and activities, and even know how much food is consumed to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, as a first step to reducing them.
Some companies also look at indirect emissions such as those involved in the consumption and disposal of their products by customers. Since most of these measurements are built into enterprise resource management and other accounting systems, everything is done at the click of a button.
In addition to reducing a business’ carbon footprint, digital technologies are the next big thing in combatting ecosystem degradation.
In the Maldives, technologies such as AI, remote sensing and automated vehicles are used to collect continuous, real-time data on the health of coral reefs, including temperature fluctuation, sound density and coral growth. The nation is fighting to keep its white sandy beaches above water and it will benefit greatly from these smart reefs as a result of being more informed of the corals from above the waves than ever before.
Monitoring mechanisms powered by artificial intelligence are helping wildlife on land as well. Animal conservation is bulking up with more power and knowledge than ever, thanks to real-time tracking and prediction technology.
For instance, the AI-based anti-poaching tool Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS) is keeping officials one step ahead of poachers by helping them to plan more informed patrol strategies. Using past records, the software is able to predict poacher and animal behaviour, and help fight poaching, illegal fishing and logging.
Another way to use digital measuring is in carbon tagging. Similar to labelling food in terms of the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and so on present in it, carbon tagging will provide data on the carbon footprints of our products and services.
It will not only make customers think twice about purchasing carbon heavy products but will also enable governments to introduce new policies such as carbon taxation to promote carbon neutral consumption. These measures will need to be part of our lives if we are to sustain life on Earth.
Technology might have contributed to the burning issues we face today with overconsumption and a depleting planet but it will also be the flaming sword we need to yield to save ourselves.
Of course, technology can play a significant role in helping us address some of the pressing challenges as the article says, facing the planet but it is not a magic bullet that can solve everything on its own. While technology has enabled significant progress in areas such as renewable energy, conservation and resource efficiency, it is ultimately up to humans to use it responsibly and effectively.
Moreover, the success of technological solutions depend on various factors including policy frameworks, public awareness and societal values. For example, even though electric cars and renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly affordable and accessible, their adoption may be hindered by lack of supportive policies or consumer preferences for fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Therefore, while technology can be a powerful tool in mitigating environmental issues, it is important to recognise that it is only one piece of the puzzle. It must be accompanied by collective action, innovative policies and changes in societal values to achieve a sustainable future for both ourselves and the planet.