Empowering nature through AI

As humans, we occupy the world for the duration of our lifetime, but our mark is left many times longer than this. Technology is often considered as only part of the corrective ‘solution’ to the challenges our planet faces. A great example of this is the focus on carbon capture and storage, utilising technology-enabled solutions to extract anthropogenic carbon emissions, that which is produced by humans, from the atmosphere. 

Whilst carbon capture and storage provides an incredibly innovative way of tackling the overshoot of our projected global carbon budget, estimates from the carbon capture and storage industry itself place its extraction ability at approximately 5% of necessary carbon emissions. One of the issues with this is that the promotion of this solution creates a misleading impression that the current economic model can carry on as it does today and technology as a corrective solution can ‘save’ us from the risks of a warming world, used as a defence for avoiding carbon emissions reduction.

Relying on carbon capture and storage is not a panacea, and it is crucial that it is not used as a distraction from the immediate implementation of natural methods of carbon emissions reduction and storage. 

In order to ensure we have the best shot at drawdown, we need to leverage the most effective carbon sinks we have available to us - our oceans, forests, saltmarshes and soil. 

To leverage these, we need to better protect and restore them and we should be utilising some of the best examples of human ingenuity and technology to do this.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), championed for its potentially transformative capabilities in diverse fields, has quietly emerged as a potentially powerful ally in conservation, particularly in protecting and restoring nature’s carbon sinks. 

AI is by no means a silver bullet, but its ability to identify patterns, analyse large amounts of data and make decisions is critical in tackling the environmental challenges our planet faces. AI, if used correctly, can play an important role in safeguarding biodiversity, revitalising ecosystems, and reinforcing the delicate bond between humanity and the natural world. As we stand on the precipice of a critical ecological turning point, AI offers both hope and solutions for a sustainable future where nature thrives in unison with innovation.

Protection of forests

Technology is already being used to prevent illegal deforestation. Global Forest Watch 2.0, which is overseen by the World Resources Institute, is a free service that provides open-source data on the world’s forests to governments and organisations. Images of illegal land clearing in the Amazon and the smoke from the fires set off to burn down the rainforest can be seen from space. Leveraging this technology is crucial in reducing this from happening. It’s also possible to capture footage using drone and audio recorders, which is taking place in several parts of the world, including Indonesia, to listen for signs of trucks and chainsaws, of illegal logging, to record them and send them to the relevant parties. These systems, often managed by indigenous communities, have cut deforestation by half, and Global Forest Watch can actually identify the felling of a single tree.

Drones, satellite imaging and other remote sensing technologies are being used to identify changes in forest cover over time, identifying patterns and trends in forest loss. 

In conjunction with machine learning, suitable restorative action can be taken. Drones can be used in direct restoration efforts and can be directed to new-tree planting. They can plant trees in hard-to-reach places at a lower cost—and up to 10 times faster—than traditional methods, making it much more efficient and easier in areas deeply impacted by deforestation. While the world’s forests continue to shrink, such technology could be the answer to planting a lot of trees very quickly.

Looking to the future, there is increased use of very innovative LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology in forest management. This is a remote sensing technique that can enable 3D data to be captured from forests above the canopy. This technology can be used to create a more accurate view of a forests’ biomass, and can provide data to aid biodiversity applications such as pollution modelling and assist carbon absorption estimations. 

Protection of soil

If an area has poor soil health, there is every chance a harvest will fail. Predicting and analysing crop performance can help identify and control threats. Data collected from satellites and sensors, similar to those practices being applied in forest management, can predict variables like plant strain, soil data and preparation, irrigation, supply chain management and economic trends. There is considerable research and work going into using geospatial imagery practices to monitor the existence of topsoil. 

LiDAR is also being used in soil protection. This is the same technology used in autonomous cars to detect objects, but instead the sensors are put on planes to map soil topography in incredible detail. These applied technologies are being used by farmers and scientists to promote better soil health. Employing ideas for soil improvement can make a significant difference in crops, which can fail with something as simple as degraded or unmanaged soil. Smart irrigation systems can help optimise water usage, avoiding over-irrigation, which can help protect the soil from the damage this can do and ensure higher levels of soil nutrients remain intact. 

Using satellite technology allows farmers to apply the exact amounts of fertilizers needed precisely on a square meter scale, thus avoiding blanket overuse. AI-enhanced farming equipment offers a solution to weeds that threaten crops and their health and camera-enabled technology can identify and remove weeds that damage plants. Their use can reduce costs by minimising herbicides and pesticides applied by farmers.

In the way that technology can support the protection, restoration and sustainable management of our naturally occurring carbon sinks, we can also leverage technology to help protect and enhance biodiversity and human wellbeing.