admin Recent studies have revealed the boons of leveraging novel technical knowledge and tools to help assuage the problem of global climate change. The arrival of frontier technologies such as Space 2.0 systems – along with other innovations including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics – offers further potential for supporting the fight against climate change.
Instrumentalizing Modern Technical Tools
A joint report from the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations stated that information and communication technologies could play a fundamental role in meeting the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5C. The report says it is vital that satellite measurements continue, and get more advanced over time, so that changes to geological features such as ice sheets can be accurately monitored.
The problems associated with the rapidly augmenting climate change and rising global temperatures need to be addressed with a methodically created, technologically adept plan of action. Scientists are hoping to leverage the information from next-generation satellites such as ICESat2 to improve forecasts about rising sea levels, as well as global weather and climate patterns. Similarly, scientists have developed an ‘internet of animals’ to track the migratory patterns of birds and animals from space with the aid of thumbnail-sized transmitters attached to their backs.The data is then beamed to the ISS, where it is transmitted to a ground station. The resulting synopsis of animal life on Earth could later be used to transmit other environmental data.
Addressing Multidimensional Concerns
This unrelenting wave of climate change has invariably affected all sectors of human life. It has now become important to protect the sectors that contribute towards human sustenance. Satellite imagery and climate data can also support these sectors such as agriculture and industry, with additional benefits to the communities they serve.Digital Earth Africa uses Open Data Cube and Amazon Web Services to make global satellite data more accessible and highlight how it can be used to bridge various socio-economic inequalities. Such information can be used to help farmers improve agricultural yield, thereby reducing hunger; tackle unregulated mining and its knock-on effects; and identify new opportunities for economic growth. The time to leverage these technologies fruitfully is swiftly nearing its end. Humans have to act fast in order to reverse the effects of climate change before they reache mammoth proportions.
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