In Between Times 11-24-2023
Climate optimism, AI farming, Amazon logging slows, Congressional retirements
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NYT: I’m a climate scientist. I’m not screaming into the void anymore.
(From The New York Times)
If emissions fall dramatically, as the report suggested they could, we may never reach 2 degrees Celsius at all. For the first time in my career, I felt something strange: optimism.
Human beings have put about 1.6 trillion tons of carbon in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution — more than the weight of every living thing on Earth combined. But as we wrote the report, I learned other, even more mind-boggling numbers. In the last decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by 70 percent and solar has declined 90 percent. Renewables now make up 80 percent of new electricity generation capacity. Our country’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling, even as our G.D.P. and population grow.
There is room for significant optimism. Consider this first graph from Our World In Data.
On a PER CAPITA basis we are now at the same level of emissions as the late 1940s. Of course there were way fewer people in the USA back then so the over all number is higher, but even allowing for this there is room for optimism.
Overall the amount of carbon coming from fossil fuels and industry is at early 1980s levels now, and allowing for an unsurprising uptick after Covid, the trend continues to push down. This is a real positive.
Innovation will continue to drive down emissions and increase efficiency.
But we have a real challenge with China and the developing world which creates the vast majority of current carbon emissions. China creates roughly three times the emissions the US does and continues to build dozens of coal fired plants. Though China is at the same time developing cleaner technologies and implementing them, the China part of the emissions equation needs to be addressed.
Even with the China/India emissions problems optimism is warranted however. The climate equation can be solved. In fact it is in the process of being solved.
Click here for the unblocked version of this article.
The future of sustainable farming: AI's role
The AI revolution is trucking right along and one of the places where this is particularly true is in agriculture.
As we mentioned in an article last week, AI can help farmers become much more efficient. AI can help identify the right crops for a given environment, decide when to plant, when to reap, when to water, when to fertilize, etc.
In the future, near future, AI may make regenerative agriculture more viable for more farmers in addition to saving waste and water under standard practices. Right now, to convert a farm from typical modern practices to a regenerative state can take 5-20 years. That means that the farmer is likely to see lower yields as the farm in question in restored. That means less money. The prospect of handicapping an operation for as much as a generation is not terribly appealing. (Though regenerative farming is even still becoming increasingly common.)
AI may be able to help move this process along more quickly. It may also help farmers adapt to any climate change.
(Devdiscourse.com)
Climate change poses a significant threat to agriculture, with shifting weather patterns, extreme events, and temperature fluctuations impacting crop yields. AI plays a pivotal role in climate-smart agriculture, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions and mitigate the impact of climate-related challenges.
Machine learning models can analyze climate data to predict optimal planting times, helping farmers align their practices with changing weather patterns. AI-driven climate models also contribute to water management by predicting droughts and optimizing irrigation schedules. By harnessing the power of AI, farmers can make climate-informed decisions that enhance resilience and sustainability in the face of a changing climate.
Click here for the article.
Brazil could reach historic low deforestation in 1-2 years
How did the Amazon get to its current state?
Concern in some circles over potential Congressional retirements
“If rational, common sense, get-it-done, consensus-building conservatives give up, the do-nothing, click-bait, self-serving, chaos caucus wins. And America and the world loses.”
(From Politico)
“The Congress is on the edge of the next great turn,” said McHenry. “And if you’re in a position to lead change for the long term, it’s desperately needed. That’s why you should stay. To lead that change. Make things better. Not because of how things are now, but because of how they can be.”
Click here for the article.
The tech making fishing more “sustainable and profitable”
We are only at the very dawn of AI and already it is increasing efficiency and sustainability on the farm, in the chemical manufacturing plant, in the auto factory, and on the open ocean.
New AI fishing tools are able to rapidly adapt to changing situations on the sea, whether it be temperature, overall weather, the seasonality of fish stocks, pretty much everything. As we noted last week it is even helping fishers boat mature fish while avoiding immature and “trash” fish.
(From Modern Diplomacy)
The SUNFISH researchers also developed GPS-equipped buoys that can be tracked via an app or directly from the vessel’s sea map.
They bob on the surface of the water attached to the traps or nets below. The buoys can be equipped with sensors able to transmit images and data such as temperature or oxygen levels that offer valuable clues about conditions in the water.
Vessels can find smart buoys more easily in harsh weather and avoid the risk of losing expensive nets and other fishing gear.
About 640 000 tonnes of fishing gear enter the ocean every year – equivalent in weight to more than 50 000 double-decker buses, according to a Greenpeace report about ghost fishing.
Click here for the article.
Event
November 30 @ 9:00 am - 7:00 pm EST
Future of Citizenship, Annual Conference on Citizenship
Location: In Person
925 13th Street Northwest
Washington, DC, 20005
We are witnessing a dramatic increase in the power and impact of technology on our daily lives and on our democracy. Social media algorithms mediate our access to news and information at the heart of our civic discourse. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging to transform what we can create and learn. Mis- and disinformation hamper the ability for people to understand what is true. Civic data is now critical to the effectiveness of the institutions charged with strengthening our democracy. These factors combine to transform how we live, work, vote, interact, and obtain information. All factors have a tremendous impact on liberty, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
To make sense of the profound role of technology in our civic life, the 2023 National Conference on Citizenship will bring together civic leaders, practitioners, elected officials and experts, to discuss how we can shape the future of citizenship.
For the first time, the conference is being co-produced by the National Conference on Citizenship and the National Civic League, two historic organizations that have been strengthening democracy in America for a combined total of 206 years! The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, another longtime pillar of civic life, is the lead sponsor of the event.