CSS Current Affairs | Role of Technological Innovation in Combating Climate Change
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Safina Naz under the supervision of Howfiv’s Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1-Introduction
2- Unveiling the concept of Artificial Intelligence
3- How can technological innovation help in combating climate change?
3.1- Role of AI in mitigation strategies
- ✓Reducing greenhouse gas emission
- ✓Improving energy efficiency through renewable resources
3.2- Role of AI in adoption against climate change
- ✓Establishing early warning systems for forecasting climate-induced disasters
- ✓Building low emission infrastructure-Buildings
3.3- Role of AI in climate research and resilience against climate change
- ✓Detecting the climate risk
- ✓Reforesting the areas of land
4-Which AI-based models are effectively adopted to combat climate change?
- ✓Foundation Model-Climax
- ✓AI for Earth launched by Microsoft
- ✓Green Horizons
- ✓Prithvi-Weather Climate Model
5-Critical Analysis
6-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
The world has been developing constantly, from the invention of fire to reaching Mars. Artificial Intelligence is among the mighty inventions of recent times, which has the capacity to mimic human behaviour and perform actions, easing the human burden. Undoubtedly, AI has spread its wings in all spheres of life, be it business, health, education, environment, or security, and resolving real-time issues. Among the issues that AI can deal with is the pressing issue of Climate change. Though human beings might take years-long strategies to avert the courses of action, Artificial intelligence can play a paramount role in battling the cancer of climate change effectively in a comparatively short time span. For instance, AI can help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). It can also help forecast climate changes based on certain software. Thus, AI is a potential tool that can be used to combat climate change. This question briefly describes the role which AI can play in combating climate change.
Unveiling the concept of Artificial Intelligence
Before moving down the ladder, it is pertinent to build a thorough understanding of AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI), a part of computer science, is a tool that operates by mimicking humans and performing actions. Based on actions performed, AI is classified as narrow or weak AI and general. While narrow AI, such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, performs a single action and is unable to resolve unfamiliar problems, general AI has a vast scope of work and solves entirely nascent problems by learning from past experiences. The workings of AI are based on machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL). Containing small data sets and performing actions based on the data fed by human engineers are the core working patterns of machine learning. Contrarily, deep learning AI contains a layered structure of artificial neural networks and performs actions without human interventions, acting as a brain. Based on learning, AI can store, collect, and process a huge amount of data, big data, performing multiple actions such as data management, pattern management, decision management, action management, and risk management. Thus, AI plays a paramount role in providing ease to human beings from all walks of life.
How can technological innovation help in combating climate change?
3.1- Role of AI in mitigation strategies
- ✓Reducing greenhouse gas emission
Heading forward to explore the potential of AI in combating climate change, AI can significantly play its role in mitigating the factors responsible for climate change. Greenhouse gases (GHG) are the key players in climate change as the gases trap the heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, eventually heating the Holy Earth and changing climate patterns. AI can act as a check to reduce the level of GHG in the atmosphere. According to Boston Consulting Group, AI has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by 5-10%. According to the World Economic Forum, Greyparrot is an AI-based software that Analysis analyses waste processing and recycling facilities in London, eventually reducing the level of greenhouse gasses emitted from waste. Thus, AI is playing a key role in battling climate change.
- ✓Improving energy efficiency through renewable resources
Further, AI is helping to shift focus from non-renewable energy resources towards renewable resources. The use of non-renewable resources has played a colossal role in changing climate patterns. Renewable resources are the best alternatives to combat the ever-increasing energy demands. AI applications provide information about. For example, AI-powered predictive modelling is used by Singapore to manage and control transport signals, eventually reducing travel time to 22% and reducing emissions. Similarly, AI provides information through satellite imaging about the best sites for installing solar and wind energy projects. Thus, the major concerns of climate change, GHG, are rapidly addressed by AI.
3.2- Role of AI in adoption and resilience against climate change
- ✓Establishing early warning systems for forecasting climate-induced disasters
Moreover, providing information to take pre-emptive measures to avoid massive scale damage is another key role of AI. Along with weather forecasting, AI provides information about possible natural disasters by tracing down the factors responsible for disasters. An early warning system launched with the help of AI can be effective in this way. For example, Berlin-based startup Dryad uses AI to detect small-scale wildfires. AI sensors sniff gases released during fires, helping the state to extinguish fires on time. Thus, AI reduces the damage caused by natural calamities by forecasting the changing patterns in a particular ecosystem and taking measures to control the situation.
- ✓Building low emission infrastructure-Buildings
Adding to it, another significant role that AI plays in taking adaptive measures is the development of low-emission infrastructure. For the construction and maintenance of buildings, such material is used to add air pollutants to the atmosphere, which causes climate change. So, AI-based smart buildings are an important substitute for overcoming the issue. For example, RESPIRA is an example of an AI-based smart building. It maintains a balance of temperature, humidity, energy consumption, and humidity, thereby overcoming the excessive emission of air pollutants that change the weather patterns.
3.3- Role of AI in climate research and resilience against climate change
- ✓Detecting the climate risk
Furthermore, AI helps in research regarding climate change, making it possible to design certain models and take measures on time. These researches are potential sources of information for detecting possible changes in the ecosystem. According to Scientists at the University of Leeds in the UK, AI can map the changes in satellites in the Antarctic iceberg through satellite images ten thousand times faster than a human can do and in just one 100th of a second. Hence, AI assistance in climate-related research is a potential tool to trace the changes in climate and take measures to slow down the pace of climate change.
- ✓Reforesting the areas of land
Besides, reforestation of areas impacted by climate change is also carried out with the help of AI to overcome the damage and minimise the ravages caused by climate change. According to a Reuters report, AI-powered computers are pairing up with drones in Brazil to reforest the hills around the city of Rio-de-Janeiro. This drone-aided seed dispersal disperses seeds 100 times faster than AI. Trees are important carbon sinks and prevent the land from sliding in hilly areas. Therefore, AI-based technology can potentially help adopt such strategies to reestablish the areas affected by climate change.
Which AI-based models are effectively adopted to combat climate change?
Moreover, there are a number of AI models working for environmental betterment. Among them, the most significant model is foundation model. 1st foundation model named as Climax was made by Microsoft for climate change. This model utilisedutilized climate change patterns from 1850-2015 and gave average surface temperature, ongoing temperature, and predicted rainfall. Besides it can also forecast weather pattern based on the concentration of CO2, Sulfur dioxide, black carbon, and methane.
In addition, AI for Earth is an initiative launched by Microsoft to reduce damage caused to the environment. AI for Earth is a game-changer for a sustainable future as it helps researchers incorporate the use of AI in combating climate change. In addition, Green Horizon is an initiative launched by International Business Machine Cooperation (IBM), which helps in weather forecasting and supports a cleaner air agenda. Using AI, Green Horizon aims to restrict traffic to improve air quality. Therefore, AI-based models are alternatives for cutting emissions. Furthermore, an AI-based model, the Prithvi-Weather Climate model, was designed with the collaboration of NASA and IBM. Containing data from the previous 40 years will play a role in storm tracking, forecasting, and historical Analysis. Along with this, weather forecasting will help farmers adopt advanced agricultural practices, which will ultimately reduce emissions. Therefore, AI-based models are playing a key role in protecting the Earth and minimising the factors leading to climate change.
Critical Analysis
To analyse critically, it must be noted that the world is currently grappling with the grave issue of climate change. With multiple other initiatives and agreements signed among states, AI is a key player in terms of combating climate change; AI-aided applications are creating a great difference by cutting the cost of mitigation measures and providing prior information about weather patterns. However, there is a critical point that needs immense attention, which is awareness among the masses. Along with efficient technology working on climate change, human beings need to change their thinking and working patterns, considering the fact the more we ignore the issue of climate, the closer we are to destruction. Thus, along with AI, awareness among the masses about the sensitivity of the issue is equally important to slow down the process of climate change.
Conclusion
Wrapping the discussion, the incorporation of AI for combating climate change is one step in the right direction. Big data is making it easier to carry out research on climate-related issues. AI is helping in mitigation measures, adaptive measures and research on climate. According to the World Economic Forum, AI has been trained to measure changes in icebergs 100 times faster than humans. With the help of technology, the world is on the way to deal with the issue of climate change pragmatically. Thus, without a doubt, technological innovations are a better option for dealing with the mammoth of climate change.
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