Climate change has become a problem that everyone in this world has to deal with. Now, the application of AI has given a beacon of hope to people worldwide. But do artificial intelligence and climate change have a correlation? Can AI help in dealing with climate change crises? In this blog, we will discuss what is climate change, what AI is, and what are the applications of AI that can be used in climate change. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change refers to the slow and gradual change of the climate of the earth. These changes occur naturally, but since the 18th century, it is believed that climate change has sped up due to the discovery of fossil fuels. Since the 18th century, humans have been burning fossil fuels to comply with their need for energy. From petrol to coal, fossil fuel makes up the majority of our energy production, and now the world we live in is paying the price. The temperature of the Earth has increased rapidly in the last century or fossil fuels and other energy production methods are said to be the leading cause for this.
What Is AI?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, and who doesn’t know what AI is? It is the talk of the town these days. With so many companies trying to incorporate AI into their systems, it’s impossible to live in a world without AI. Some people consider AI to be a time bomb that is ticking and can explode at any time, while others claim that, if kept under scrutiny, AI has the potential to become one of the finest human inventions ever.
Artificial Intelligence And Climate Change
The biggest strength of artificial intelligence is that it can run simulations for days on end and still not get tired. This is a trait that is very much valuable in the field of climate change study. AI can help scientists understand the rate of progression of climate change and can help them fight it. There are many other applications of AI in climate change, which we will discuss in this blog.
AI Applications In Climate Change
There are many applications for Artificial Intelligence and climate change. None of the applications is direct but incorporation of AI in existing processes can significantly lower carbon emissions.
Transportation
One of the major advantages of AI is in transportation systems. Today, there are many cars that have autonomous driving features. It is said that the future cars will be able to communicate with one another. This will allow mapping transportation and minimise the travel distance, and in doing so, carbon emissions can also be lowered. AI Systems can modify the transportation system by shortening routes and managing the car fleet. Another application of AI in climate change is the use of AI in developing new and cleaner fuels that produce lower or no carbon emissions.
Agriculture
Another field where Artificial intelligence and climate change go hand in hand is Agriculture. Although the whole world is one big family, we all have different contributions to climate change. That being said, there are places that contribute more to climate change than other countries. For example, China has much higher emissions than the US. AI can be used to determine which area produces more pollution and can then use agriculture to minimise the emissions. AI can be used to determine the number of plants needed to make sure that carbon emissions remain under control.
Industrial Sector
Artificial intelligence and Climate change go hand in hand, and the incorporation of AI in the industrial sector is a perfect example of that. Industries produce a lot of carbon emissions, which is one of the main causes of climate change. The worst part is most of the countries in the world do not have industries, it’s only the top 25 to 50 countries that have industries. Just imagine what would happen if all the countries in the world had industries; imagine the carbon emissions. This is where AI comes in. AI can come up with solutions to maximise the energy yield and minimize carbon emissions. This will result in a lot less pollution and will also help in cutting the production costs.
Challenges Faced By Scientists
One of the problems with artificial intelligence and climate change is the extraordinary amount of variables involved. When it comes to climate, there are various variables that can affect climate change for good and for worse. Calculating every variable is a very tough task, and it becomes even more difficult considering the fact that we know nothing about the oceans. They are the biggest emitter and absorber of heat on Earth. Oceans cover almost 70% of Earth’s surface, and we have no idea how climate change affects oceans and its ecosystems. This is why the incorporation of AI in climate change is very tough. To use AI, you need to provide it with an algorithm which cannot be created because we don’t have 70% of the equation, and even if we devise an algorithm, it cannot be trusted, considering it only has 30% of the information.
Our Take On The Movement
Artificial intelligence and climate change are 2 of the most important things in this century. Knowing about climate change is very important as our whole future depends on it. Incorporation of Artificial intelligence in climate change can only happen when we have enough information to form an algorithm. This can only be achieved after researching oceans and how climate change affects them. That being said, there are some applications of AI that are useful even today. The main application is to use it for lowering the emissions of industries, automobiles and other carbon emission-causing sectors.
