Digitisation is the topic of the future – also for the future of our planet, scientists say. But together fit technology and environmental protection?
Digitization does not sound like the most obvious solution to our environmental problems. But it could be, according to a prestigious group of scientists. In their extensive 900-page report with the title of “Our digital future”, the scientific Advisory Board of the Federal government to the conclusion: “In the Great work of digitisation processes today, rather than fire-accelerator [at the] overuse of natural resources and growing social inequality”. This needs to change.
“Our dream is to work with powerful digital tools for a better world,” write the authors. A “Transformation to a digital sustainability of society is necessary,” said Dirk Messner, one of the authors of the report of the DW. But what does that mean exactly?
A beautiful new yogurt Cup
First, our consumption habits are on the Agenda. The authors believe that we can use technology to say goodbye to us, faster of the disposable society and a circular economy is headed for extinction.
The world was produced in 2016, according to a report by the world Bank, plastic garbage with a total weight of 24 trillions of 0.5-Liter plastic bottles. The researchers think that digital technology could help to produce the yogurt cups in the future from a completely different Material. One that can be better recycled or even compostable. At least that is the idea.
The authors draw a world in which cars, houses, packaging, furniture, shoes, or textiles by the use of artificial intelligence easy to repair. In the manufacturing environment – and health could be harmful to the resources can be avoided.
“Overall, we need to use our resources better.”, Messner says “We have our linear System, in the and thrown away is produced to develop to economic and ecological cycles.”
Green energy, clean air, no emissions?
Large potential for digital technology to the researchers, especially in the transition to a CO2-free economy, i.e. in the area of energy and resource efficiency. By Smog mega polluted cities such as Beijing, Cairo, or Mexico City have vehicles with Autonomous through a more efficient use of significantly less CO2 emissions.
The Smog in Beijing could belong to, according to the study by the Nature Climate Change magazine of the past.
According to a in the journal “Nature Climate Change” study published by self-driving could save cars, approximately 90 percent of greenhouse gases. The savings would be primarily achieved by the fact that the cabins of the people were adapted to number. So far, the cars are oversized. In addition, the cars in most of the cases would be powered with renewable electricity.
“We need to halve in the next decades up to the mid-century our emissions, if we want to stop climate change. That means we have to leave in questions of energy use to come up with something,” says Messner.
In addition, the researchers imagine a future in which networked filter systems get rid of street lights, roads and tunnels, at least in part, of fine dust. Urban areas, such as Park benches, and houses could have roofs drive energy sources for the electricity grid change to renewable energy through smart energy management.
Sustainable land use and protection of Ecosystems
On Land, the scientists can see a place for a targeted digital use. Today drones can be in the fight against poaching. They are also in the daily Count of rhinos in national parks in Kenya useful or to protect forests from illegal deforestation. Algorithms and artificial intelligence can help to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
An example of the data-driven agriculture. Here, a sensor device, data such as the pH and the humidity of the soil record. It is powered by a solar energy module, and sends the data wirelessly to a Cloud Server.
The farmers can then access in real time to your data via a mobile App and receive advice on what fertilizer you are using and how your plant can best irrigate. However, there are also critical aspects of the digitized agricultural production.
The main thing is that technology, then everything will be fine?
“So far, the corporations control the technology. You are programming the Algorithms that control how many pesticides on the farmer’s field to the store,” says Mute Schimpf from the Brussels office of the non-governmental organization “Friends for Earth”. She sees the Power of large companies, particularly in the area of digital technology as a major Problem.
“Powerful, the large corporations are, because they collect all the data from the devices” and there is still no appropriate legislation in the EU, so bad.
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How sustainable is the digital life?
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How sustainable is the digital life?
Also for digitalization of sustainable objectives for the regulation and promotion of targeted research projects is important, as it says in the report. There is commercial access and a democratic discourse-not-be necessary in order to make digitization in a socially and ecologically fair, says Messner.
“We need to clarify what we want to do with the potential of the digitization. If that is not clear, the processes are controlled either by companies, especially in the United States, or from the state , as in China. Where digitisation is used for a complete monitoring.”
Europe have to use the opportunity of the “brand-accelerator” digitization for sustainability and democracy. “We have a basic mood change and sustainability. Only no one knows where,” says Messner. “If we know this, it will go forward.”
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Grueling Test Of Nerves
It is the nightmare of every car driver: traffic jam. These endless minutes, or in the worst case, hours in which nothing goes forward, and a short car journey turned into a seemingly never-ending Odyssey. Long car queues are not only annoying for commuters, but also have far-reaching consequences.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Increased Exhaust Gas Emissions
Engine off in a traffic jam! It’s worth it in terms of gasoline consumption already after 20 seconds. An hour of idling costs a Liter of fuel, explains the TÜV Süd. Higher fuel consumption means more CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect is amplified. In the fight against climate change, it is important to avoid the.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Germany’s Traffic Jam Capital
2018 formed in Germany, according to ADAC, a total of 745.000 jams, about three percent more than in the previous year. According to Figures from the sat NAV manufacturer TOMTOM Cologne was last in the city with the clogged roads of Germany to test to see in the picture very clearly. In cutting the regular journey time was extended there due to congestion by more than a third.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Traffic gridlock in L. A. and Moscow
Manufacturers of GPS, INRIX calculated the volume of traffic differently, and came to Berlin as Germany’s traffic jam capital. There drivers were on average 154 hours per year in traffic jams and dense traffic. Elsewhere, it looks much better: jam capital of the world, according to INRIX Los Angeles, where drivers were 102 hours per year in traffic, followed by Moscow (pictured here) with 91 hours.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Not only bad for the patience
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Economic damage in the billions
INRIX calculated that congestion costs incurred 2017 stood at 80 billion euros. Goods not in time, it will consume more Fuel to companies and private drivers both suffer financially under the clogged streets. “Congestion threatens economic growth and affect quality of life,” says Dr. Graham Cookson, chief economist at INRIX.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Ride-sharing is not a solution
Could the volume of traffic be reduced by Ride-share Apps such as Uber? If you can let for a route for a car to come, it is hoped, would allow more people to own a car. But researcher Bruce Schaller found that in U.S. cities, the opposite was the case. People rose from the U-Bahn or bike, not by car.
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What jam doing with our environment and with us?Congestion is only one factor of air pollution
Also, Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, is struggling with traffic congestion. Air pollution not only be achieved, therefore threatening proportions. Now in the Winter, the inhabitants of coal, automobile tires and garbage burning to produce any heat. These include diesel generators and a lot of cars yet to come. Such a Smog is produced, referred to the Afghanistan’s environmental organization in NEPA as “deadly”.