How do we know if the climate is really changing? Predictions of change are generated using complex computer models, but this is only part of the scientific basis for climate change. Scientists have long sought to answer why greenhouse gases, which are found in small quantities in the atmosphere, have a severe impact on the climate.
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity caused different issues, including air pollution and erosion of soil. It has significantly affected the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide content. This fact is proved by the temperature readings from meteorological stations and ships, which have been carried out since the 19th century. Later, the temperature indicators of the surface of our planet began to be received from satellites.
In addition to land, water also heats up. According to studies carried out over the past 60 years, the ocean has absorbed about 90% of the heat from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. At the same time, temperatures rise in all layers of the ocean. The changes also manifest themselves more noticeably for the average person. As the glaciers melt, the water level increases. In winter, the snow begins to melt earlier, and the first plants also bloom earlier. Animals change their habitat by moving to higher, cooler places. In addition, the incidence of forest fires is becoming more frequent, which is becoming more widespread.
There was agreement among the scientific community that natural climate change is lower than anthropogenic warming since the last century. At the moment, the overwhelming majority of published climatologists have come to a consensus about the cause and the actual existence of climate change.
Those who deny global warming often resort to the argument about the instability of climatology as a science. However, in this case, already known indicators neutralize some uncertainty. The future climate change, identified by scientists, largely depends on how quickly humankind can reduce emissions. The scientific community is sure that the climate is changing due to human activity.
As for the price that humanity will have to pay for not acting on climate change, there is a whole list of consequences. Among these consequences is significant damage to infrastructure due to sea-level rise, natural disasters, extreme weather conditions that will lead to death and infectious diseases of the population, and decreased agricultural productivity. In addition, water will become even less accessible, even for those regions that are now not experiencing a shortage of it. Also, let’s not forget that the planet is inhabited not only by people. Climatic changes caused by anthropogenic activities will also lead to the extinction of many animal and plant species.
Climate Change Solutions
In the modern world, various solutions are invented that can help reduce the human influence on the climate. With the help of innovations, it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere significantly, and some areas of human activity can be completely decarbonized.
Power-to-X
The essence of this technology is to extract hydrogen from water using electrolyzes. First, an electric current is passed through the water, and then the detached hydrogen molecules are collected. These molecules can generate heat and can also be converted to methane and other chemicals. Therefore, this method is suitable for processes that require fossil fuels. Power-to-X is designed to decarbonize a range of human activity sectors related to the processing of industrial materials.
Carbon capture
Scientists say that even if humanity significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, this will not help ultimately solve the problem of global warming. We also need to take some carbon dioxides from the atmosphere. On the one hand, plants on Earth convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, but unfortunately, we cannot plant trees everywhere. Humanity also needs fields for farming, and therefore food. In addition, when trees are cut down and forest fires, carbon dioxide will be released back. So this is not the safest method of storing CO2 either.
Some businesses are using a new method of storing carbon dioxide underground by capturing it from power plants. It happens in those plants that run on biomass. Burning newly grown plant matter, rather than ancient fossils, is another way to generate energy without massive emissions.
Lab-grown food
Unlike previous examples, this is not a new technology but a fresh take on a traditional industry. Meat production has the most significant energy footprint compared to plant-based food production. To reduce the industry’s impact on the atmosphere and possibly eliminate this type of production in the future, companies like Impossible Foods are now growing artificial meat in laboratories. Animals and plants share a common protein called heme. Based on this protein, vegetable meat with the same properties is created.
Smart Cities
Congested cities could in the future increase deaths from air pollution. This fact is stated by the World Health Organization. However, thanks to artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, the situation can stop being so frightening. Designing smart cities helps reduce pollution and keep citizens safe.
An extraordinary example of leveraging innovation to reduce emissions exists in Hamburg, where ships arriving at the port dumped fuel for onboard equipment. The merger between the Port Authority and Siemens has led to the introduction of technology that allows ships to connect to a power source onshore and not burn excess fuel in the harbor.
Saving Bees
These creatures are an integral part of a healthy environment, but their population is declining worldwide. The World Bee Project and Oracle have teamed up to create the Hive Network to save the bees. Thanks to AI and sensors, they collect information about the bees to protect them. The network analyzes various data, including wing movement, the temperature inside the enclosure, and honey harvest.
Batteries
Lithium batteries are inferior to rechargeable batteries in size and weight. Therefore, they charge faster. As their price falls, they become increasingly important in reducing transport emissions by making EVs cheaper. In addition, such cars can become a storage system in which car owners consume electricity at night while charging and then sell it online when demand is high, and vehicles are parked and idle during the day.
