The last decade has been the hottest since the beginning of observational history. Temperatures rise, and the main reason for this is carbon dioxide emissions connected to human activities. Get information about how we can capture the carbon from the air and bury it in bales deep underground, which can help us reduce emissions and create a cleaner environment. Essentially, it involves setting up giant machines that use chemical processes for carbon capture and sequestration from the atmosphere. It works by trapping carbon dioxide as it is released from industrial and power generation plants. In this article, you can look at the opportunities and tools that humankind uses today to address the global impacts of climate change.
Problems to Fight
Climate change problems affect all countries in the world. They have become the subject of attention not only of the scientific community but also of politicians, public figures, and ordinary citizens. Humanity is trying to invent more and more new ways to fight climate change. However, before we talk about the tools, there are a few significant problems worth mentioning.
Forest degradation
The problem of global warming is generating interest in forestry management and monitoring. Forests are an essential element in maintaining carbon balance as they retain significant amounts of carbon. This amount is several times higher than the carbon content in the atmosphere. At the same time, forest degradation leads to the annual emission of 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States has been monitoring forests nationally and globally for 60 years. Many countries worldwide cooperate with this organization, monitoring forests according to generally accepted rules and taking part in the development of new methodologies, and making investments. Besides, many countries began using National forest inventories a century ago to collect forest resource data systematically. Such inventory plays a huge role in planning and analysis, which are the basis for sustainable forestry management.
Concerning forest carbon monitoring, significant efforts have been expended by global organizations and the scientific community to develop standards and methodologies for this process. The parameters that are used for forest management, including area, resource stocks, and removals, are also an essential part of forest carbon monitoring. The focus on forest monitoring should lead to improved forestry and more sustainable use of its resources.
Increasing CO2 levels
Despite the pandemic showing human power decreased in 2020, carbon dioxide levels are still breaking records. Over the past year, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere had even exceeded the indicators of the Pliocene era. During that era the level of the world ocean was higher, as well as the temperature indicators on the planet. Lockdowns around the world had a negligible impact on the state of the atmosphere. According to the forecasts of scientists from Imperial College London, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could double in the worst-case scenario by the end of the century. This level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is comparable to the period when there was no ice on Earth.
Record temperature
In recent years, wildfires in Australia and the United States have become the primary evidence that the temperature on Earth is rising. For the whole world, 2020 was the warmest year on par since 2016. However, the increase in temperature in 2016 was associated with forming a great strip of warm water in the Pacific Ocean, referred to as the El Niño event. In 2020, the opposite phenomenon occurred, La Niña, which can be considered to have cooled the Earth, which means that the temperature would have been even higher without it.
Top 4 Tools To Combat Climate Change
Precision farming – EOS Crop Monitoring by EOS Data Analytics
This farm management platform assists growers in making efficient decisions throughout the crop growing season. EOS Crop Monitoring enables crop health analysis based on 5 vegetation indices, VRA approach implementation with its zoning feature, field activities planning across all your fields with advanced Activity log, most productive fields identification via Field leaderboard, and much more.
The platform utilizes satellite imagery, applying proprietary analytics to help farmers spot and prevent potential threats to crop health. The users also have access to weather data (current, historical, and 14-day forecast) to reveal climate patterns and detect any weather-related issues in a timely manner. On top of that, farmers are able to analyze efficiency of field activities performed by ag equipment: the platform allows for uploading datasets right from the vehicle to visualize any issues on the map (overapplication, underapplication, missed areas).
Environmental Insights Explorer by Google
This is a free platform for monitoring and planning changes in the ecological situation of cities. This new Google tool allows you to measure emission sources, get data on air pollution on the streets, and analyze local ecosystems. The tool is still in the making, and so far, certain functions are available in different cities. However, it will help plan and analyze strategies to reduce emissions, control air cleanliness, and discover new opportunities for alternative energy sources.
Climate Change Calculator – Financial Times
According to the UN climate process, governments of all countries must define and provide data on the planned emissions. The platform created by the Financial Times and Climate-KIC allows you to determine the impact of planned emissions on the climate for different years. It’s possible to track how much the temperature on Earth will rise if the emissions don’t decrease or observe the positive changes.
JouleBug
This app works on iOS and Android and will help users take steps towards a green lifestyle. Here you can celebrate various activities that positively affect the environment and even compete in this way with your friends. These activities include sorting and recycling waste, recycling things like water bottles, saving energy. JouleBug also has challenges that bring the user closer to a more eco-friendly life.