Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that our world is facing and as the planet continues to warm, its impacts are worsening. The catastrophic events that occur because of the weather are now triple the number that occurred 30 years ago. The predictions for the near future, are not positive: By 2100 half of the species will face extinction and it’s likely that average global temperatures will be 3˚C higher than in pre-industrial times.
To better manage the impacts of climate change and try to reverse the situation, we will need to use all possible ways and technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.
Today AI’s capacities are rapidly improving so AI can quickly make predictions more efficiently and recommend better policies than humans can. This ‘all-powerful’ technology of AI and Machine Learning is proved to be an invaluable tool in fighting climate change by helping us understand our current reality, predict future weather events and create a wide array of innovative applications and impressive techniques to minimize our human impact.
Below are some ways that AI and Machine Learning can help combat climate change:
Detecting warning signs
Machines that analyze the data collected from past climate conditions can be used to automatically spot patterns and identify upcoming disasters and their level of severity, as well as which are the highest risk zones. This deep knowledge be shared with decision-makers and help them acquire a very accurate picture of the changing world conditions that will be useful in planning the appropriate climate models and reduce the damage to human lives and property.Showing the effects and testing solutions
In order to convince people climate change is real and motivate them in a more effective way, AI has been already used to simulate what homes are likely to look like after being damaged by rising sea levels and by several climate change outcomes. Moreover theories and “what-if” scenarios are being tested out in a very realistic manner allowing climate researchers will know a priori whether their environmental solutions and climate-friendly innovations are going to work or not.Measuring the impact
Artificial intelligence and machine learning innovations that track energy footprints’ levels and are of a consumer-facing perspective help creating devices such as smart thermostats (which could save up to 15% on cooling annually for each household) and irrigation systems (which could save up to 8,800 gallons of water per home per year) that conserve resources. This way human impact in greenhouse gas levels will be minimized and the adoption rate and the progress in tackling climate change will be increased.Additional uses:
Leveraging AI, scientists can monitor ecosystems and wildlife and their interactions more effectively, and through real-time satellite data analysis to be able to track illegal logging in forests.They will also be able to monitor the quality of the drinking water, manage residential water use efficiently, make agriculture intelligent by determining the best places to plant, monitor crop moisture, soil composition and temperature. This will result in increased efficiency, enhanced yields, and lower use of water, fertilizer and pesticides.
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