[INFORMATIVE] IoT Climate Change

IoT in Climate Change Mitigation

By: Alexandros Theodossis

What is IoT?
Imagine a world where your everyday objects talk to each other and make decisions without you lifting a finger. This is what the Internet of Things (IoT) is all about. For instance, picture your home: your refrigerator senses when you're almost out of milk and orders more, your thermostat sets the perfect temperature based on your habits, and your lights automatically turn off when you leave a room. But IoT isn't just for homes. In cities, smart traffic lights can adjust to reduce jams, factories can predict equipment breakdowns before they occur, and environmental scientists can forecast major floods or severe weather events. These IoT devices connect to the internet, enabling them to share data and collaborate, which boosts efficiency, convenience, and safety. The ways IoT can be used are almost endless, making a real impact on our daily lives.

What is Climate Change?
Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. Occasionally, climate is mistaken for the weather outside, such as a person saying that the climate is “rainy”, or “hot” at a given moment. Climate is measured over a long period that can forecast weather events for certain regions, while weather can change from day to day, or year to year. The climate of an area includes seasonal temperatures, average snowfall, average rainfall, and wind patterns. Around the world, different places have different climates. For example, rainforests can be referred to as a tropical climate due to the vast rainfall that occurs yearly. Other types of climates include dry, arid, hot, and humid. Similarly, climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a certain region or place. Climate change could refer to a certain region or the world as a whole. One instance of climate change in a specific region is Florida, where researchers believe that a vast amount of Florida will be submerged underwater in the future if climate change persists at the current level. Climate change ultimately refers to the significant and lasting changes in the Earth’s climate due to human activities, more specifically, burning fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which cause gases, like carbon dioxide and methane to trap heat from the sun, causing the planet to warm up. This warming leads to a wide range of effects that include melting ice caps, rising sea levels, more intense storms, hurricanes, droughts, and disruptions to ecosystems and agriculture at a local, or even national scale. Climate change is like turning up the heat on a pot of water -things start to bubble and change, not where the heat is applied, but throughout the whole pot. Consequently, climate change is a big deal because it affects all aspects of life on Earth, from the health of our planet’s ecosystems to the well-being of human communities.

What is Climate Change Mitigation?
Climate change mitigation refers to any steps made by local or national governments, businesses, or individuals to minimize or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, which then warm the Earth. Since the beginning of the industrial age, human activities have resulted in the release of significant volumes of greenhouse gases, causing global warming and climate change. Despite clear scientific proof of the influence our activities have on the planet's climate and growing awareness of the catastrophic issue faced by climate change, greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb. Nonetheless, with the right measures and resources, climate change mitigation is possible. In particular, monitoring energy management, renewable energy integration, smart mobility, agriculture, industrial efficiency, building management, water management, waste management, air quality monitoring, water quality monitoring, and temperature monitoring are all actions that contribute to climate change mitigation.

How Does IoT Aid in Climate Change Mitigation?
The power of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has a plethora of applications in the mitigation of climate change. Environmental scientists can harvest the power of IoT to predict weather events in local communities, to then take steps to prepare for weather events, such as a hurricane, tornado, flood, or rain. IoT devices that can detect humidity, water quality, water temperature, air quality, air temperature, and water levels can be utilized in predicting weather patterns. For example, such IoT devices can be implemented in local communities to analyze trends, and then from there, propose solutions to flagged problems. For example, an environmental scientist deploys IoT devices in 6 parts of a freshwater lake that is inhabited by a wide range of fish, ranging from bluegill to peacock bass, and notices that one area of the lake is barren of any species of fish. The environmental scientist then deploys IoT devices that measure the water temperature, and water quality, and finds out that the water temperature is about 97 degrees: almost impossible for any species of freshwater fish to thrive in. Some trends may be obvious to the human eye but need to be analyzed further to propose solutions to climate change mitigation and sustainability (something that harnessing the power of IoT provides). Harnessing the power of IoT can be a game-changer for tackling climate change because it helps us use resources more wisely, helps cut down on emissions, and forecasts future weather events. More specifically, IoT devices can automatically adjust energy usage in homes and businesses when there is nobody present in such buildings, making sure we don’t waste power on heating or cooling when it is not needed. They also help;p renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines run more efficiently. Plus, IoT can improve how we manage transportation, agriculture, and waste by providing real-time data that helps us make smarter decisions. More specifically, IoT can be implemented in climate change mitigation in:

• Energy Efficiency: IoT devices like smart thermostats and lighting systems optimize energy usage by adjusting settings based on occupancy and time of day, which helps reduce overall energy consumption and lowers greenhouse gas emissions from power generation.
• Renewable Energy Management: IoT sensors and smart grids improve the efficiency of renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines by monitoring their performance and managing energy distribution to avoid waste.
• Smart Transportation: IoT-enabled systems optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion, and monitor vehicle stats to improve fuel efficiency, which lowers emissions from transportation.
• Precision Agriculture: IoT devices, such as soil moisture sensors and weather monitors help farmers use water, fertilizers, and pesticides more efficiently.
• Industrial Efficiency: IoT can enhance manufacturing processes by monitoring and controlling equipment performance, predicting maintenance needs, and reducing energy consumption.
• Waste Management: IoT technology optimizes waste collection routes and monitors waste levels in real time, leading to more efficient garbage collection and reduced fossil fuel use in waste management.
• Water Conservation: IoT sensors track water usage, and can detect leaks in real-time, helping conserve water resources and reduce the energy needed for water treatment and distribution.
• Air Quality Monitoring: IoT sensors can be used to measure pollution levels and provide data for better urban planning and regulation, helping to improve air quality and reduce emissions from a multitude of sources.

Works Cited:

“IoT: The Game Changer in Our Fight against Climate Change | Greener Ideal.” Greenerideal.com, greenerideal.com/news/technology/iot-tool-for-climate-action/. Accessed 4 August 2024.

National Geographic Society. “Climate Change.” Education.nationalgeographic.org, National Geographic Society, 19 Oct. 2023, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/climate-change/. Accessed 4 August 2024.

IoT.Business.News. “Harnessing the Power of IoT for Environmental Sustainability: Smart Solutions to Combat Climate Change.” IoT Business News, 19 Dec. 2023, iotbusinessnews.com/2023/12/19/90900-harnessing-the-power-of-iot-for-environmental-sustainability-smart-solutions-to-combat-climate-change/. Accessed 4 August 2024.

UNDP. “What Is Climate Change Mitigation and Why Is It Urgent?” UNDP Climate Promise, 29 Feb. 2024, climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-climate-change-mitigation-and-why-it-urgent. Accessed 4 August 2024.

IBM. “What Is the Internet of Things?” IBM, 2024, www.ibm.com/topics/internet-of-things. Accessed 4 August 2024.“3 Ways of How the IoT Could Dramatically Help Fighting Climate Change.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/3-ways-the-iot-could-help-fight-climate-change/. Accessed 4 August 2024.