How can Technology Help Combat Crisis?

Several technological solutions can assist in combating catastrophic damage, including carbon capture, delicious insects, climate repair, and remote working.

FREMONT, CA: Fossil fuels have contributed to climate change, but they have also allowed humans to become familiar with the impact on the planet and develop methods to combat it.

Humanity could avoid catastrophic damage caused by a continued rise in global temperatures by implementing a number of significant technological solutions that are listed below:

Carbon capture: Scientists attribute the rising average temperature of the Earth mainly to man-made emissions of greenhouse gases, which trap radiation and prevent it from escaping.

Since the industrial revolution began, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have risen by almost 50 percent. An example of an innovation used to reduce CO2 emissions is the Net Zero Teesside (NZT) project.

By transporting CO2 produced in industrial processes and power plants to offshore storage sites several kilometers under the North Sea, NZT aims to capture CO2 emissions from industrial processes and power plants.

Sequestering carbon deep under the sea would prevent it from contributing to global warming, and it could even be converted into fuel. The NZT project aims to reduce carbon emissions from a number of carbon-intensive industries in the North East to zero by 2030.

Delicious insects: In some places, a substitute for beef made from insects is already taking off as a way to reduce methane pollution.

It is possible to farm protein-rich insects such as mealworms without consuming the same amount of land or water as cattle farming, but even if the insects are high in protein, iron is one of the nutrients that humans generally only receive from meat. Several scientific studies have suggested that insects can provide humans with all of the minerals they need, but even this isn't a quick fix - insect burgers are largely a novelty item rather than something that can be mass-produced and consumed.

Repairing the climate: A number of ideas are being investigated at the University of Cambridge's Centre for Climate Repair to repair the damage caused by human activity.

In order to refreeze the poles, tiny drops of salt would be sprayed into the sky to assist the clouds in reflecting back radiation.

"Greening" the oceans has also been proposed, essentially fertilizing them to encourage the growth of plants and algae that can absorb more CO2.

Working remotely: Since businesses and governments rushed to lock down their countries and prevent mass deaths due to covid-19, the technology to support remote working has been rapidly adopted.