TMT(TECH MEDIA AND TELCO) DIGEST | Earth Day
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY: The Circle of Life
The arrival of spring brings with it transformation of the Earth, as once-brown and barren landscapes burst into life with dense foliage and a kaleidoscope of colors. This awe-inspiring transition seems to happen almost overnight, as if the Earth itself is taking a deep breath and exhaling vitality into the world around us. As I watch this spectacle every year unfold before my eyes, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the beauty and resiliency of nature.
Coincidently I started watching the Apple TV series “Extrapolations”, which felt especially timely now, given that we are celebrating Earth Day and month. This captivating series explores our complex relationship with the planet we call home, and how our actions today can have a profound impact on the future of our natural world. Set in the not-too-distant future, the show presents a bleak but eerily realistic view of what life might be like in the years ahead. By the year 2050, the Earth’s average temperature has increased by 1.5 degrees Celsius and was inching closer to 2 degree celcius, resulting in devastating forest fires, deadly heat waves, and catastrophic droughts. Despite the obvious signs of environmental degradation, little is being done to address the crisis at hand. Politicians remain influenced by wealthy capitalists, and the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. The show vividly depicts a world where the pursuit of profit takes precedence over the survival of our planet and its inhabitants. The series successfully encapsulated a near realistic view of degradation of quality of human life versus a widespread mass extinction. What is common for us today is definitely a luxury for future. Technology on the other hand has penetrated the masses. Connectivity, smart homes, metaverse is part of everyday life giving a window to escape reality. Bitcoins and carbon credits have become the new form of currency exchange. Normal life in 2050 looked very lonely and gloomy, children born with heart problems, everyone is trying to survive in the dying earth except capitalists who continue making money exploiting whatever is left of Earth. I am so glad they didnt show colonizing Mars though and the series closes with a hope and vision to revive earth back to its glory.
Today we are sitting in 2023, we have thankfully managed to crossing all the doomsday predictions of 2020 (though the global pandemic felt a lot like one), nearly one-third of the world’s largest global companies have Net-Zero commitments by 2050. A deadline which is necessary to meet to avoid irreplacable damage to the environment. Additionally, state regulations have forced automakers to ramp up production of electric vehicles, further driving down carbon emissions. It’s encouraging to see tech giants like Apple are finding innovative ways to reduce carbon footprint. In their latest iOS update, Apple introduced a feature that by default restricts charging on phones if the utility provider is not sourcing energy from clean sources. While one phone may not make much of an impact, imagine the collective impact of millions of iPhone users using this feature. It’s clear that just like our collective pursuit of comfort got us to the world we are in, a collective pursuit of sustainability is necessary to make the world a better place.
Despite increasing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net-zero targets, a recent report by Accenture indicates that only 7% of net-zero commitments made by governments and corporations are likely to be met. Therefore, to accelerate progress and achieve these targets, it is essential to focus on various elements of clean energy beyond just investment.
- Cost-effecient ways to extract power from renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro and geothermal
- Advanced technologies that support smart energy management systems that enables efficient use of energy, reducing waste and lowers emissions
- Abundant energy storage solutions like batteries that can store excess energy for later use wherever and whenever it is needed
- Low carbon transportation options, such as electric vehicles, hydrogen fuels are really important to lower carbon emissions
- Development of carbon capture technologies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes which is stored or repurposed for other uses.
- Sustainable land use practices, such as reforestation and conservation, preserves natural habitats and delicate ecosystems.
Energy storage solutions, particularly batteries, play a critical role in the future of green energy. They enable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to be stored and used when needed, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and promoting a cleaner energy mix. As we transition to a low-carbon economy, energy storage solutions will become increasingly important to ensure a stable and reliable energy supply.
The future of electric vehicles (EVs) does indeed look promising, with growing interest from policy makers, automakers, and drivers alike. EVs have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector, which is currently one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
While the COVID-19 pandemic led to a temporary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to global lockdowns. IMF published an article that stated emissions from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases plunged 4.6 percent in 2020, as lockdowns in the first half of the year restricted global mobility. It was indeed encouraging but it was just a blip.
In his TED Talk, Wanis kabbaj suggests that as electric vehicles become more widespread and autonomous technology advances, the transportation system of the future should function more like a vascular system. This means creating a 3D transport system that flows seamlessly like human veins, allowing for more efficient and flexible movement of people and goods.
Overall, the vision of a 3D transport system represents an exciting and innovative approach to addressing the challenges of urban mobility in the future. It will lead to more sustainable, efficient, connected cities, while also improving the quality of life for people around the world.
The pursuit of sustainability can have a dark side when it becomes driven by the profit motives of billionaires. According to Exactitude Consultancy, the global green technology and sustainability market size is projected to reach USD 99.60 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 28.2%. The concept of green technologies involves the implementation of environmentally sustainable solutions that aim to achieve economic and social sustainability, The demand for green and sustainable energy is high and will continue to rise, but the supply of critical rare earth metals, such as copper, nickel, lithium, and cobalt, is limited and not easily accessible. Even when discovered, it takes decades to bring these resources into production, which will result in exponential price increases, benefiting the wealthy but leaving resource-rich nations to suffer. The price of Lithium (the metal used in batteries) could rise from its 2020 level around $6,000 a metric ton to about $15,000 late this decade — and stay elevated through most of the 2030s. Cobalt and nickel prices would also see similar surges in coming years. The fast pace of change needed to meet climate goals, layed down by International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap, implies lithium and cobalt consumption to jump more than sixfold to satisfy needs for batteries and other clean energy uses. Copper use would double and nickel’s would quadruple.
History has shown that mining can create political instability, inequality, and pollution, making it crucial to find a new way of mining that is more sustainable and socially responsible. Discovery of resorce deposits to production takes decades. Technology advancements in the mining industry will be crucial to extract these resources while minimizing environmental impact and preserving the surrounding ecosystem. As a global community, we must prioritize finding a balance between our need for these resources and the importance of maintaining a healthy ecosystem for future generations.
One way to address this challenge is to prioritize responsible and sustainable mining practices, which aim to minimize the impact on the environment and local communities. This can involve using advanced technologies to reduce the use of harmful chemicals, minimizing water usage, and restoring ecosystems after mining activities are completed.
Another approach is to promote greater transparency and accountability in the mining industry, through mechanisms such as certification and auditing systems. This can help ensure that companies are adhering to social and environmental standards, and that they are held accountable for any negative impacts on local communities and ecosystems.
Additionally, there is a need to invest in research and development to identify alternative materials and technologies that can reduce the reliance on rare earth metals and other scarce resources. This can involve exploring new materials and production methods that are more sustainable and less resource-intensive.
But this is a journey and a cautious road for humanity to preserve and flourish what we have. Technology is the biggest boon that can help us get there provided it is supported by the right people and processes that think of only one stakeholder — THIS PLANET, OUR EARTH!
