Last year was the hottest on record. Around the world, we are witnessing more extreme events—from massive forest fires to floods to « hot tub' » ocean temperatures—with devastating consequences for human life and our planet’s biodiversity.
was the hottest on record. Around the world, we are witnessing more extreme events—from massive forest fires to floods to « hot tub' » ocean temperatures—with devastating consequences for human life and our planet’s biodiversity.
The economic costs are already tremendously high. Despite mounting feelings of eco-anxiety, my colleagues and I firmly believe that there is still much that can be done to save our planet.
There is still a lot of uncertainty in climate projections; shortcomings in both climate process understanding and computing capacities limit the accuracy of climate projections needed for optimal adaptation and resilience to climate change.
Using AI helps to narrow down the uncertainties in climate modeling that can, in turn, be used to optimize adaptation, and potentially maximize equitable allocation of resources and inform actionable decision-making. In fact, AI applications to address a range of climate and environmental problems are rapidly expanding.
While we absolutely must mitigate greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change, we also need accurate information about what is going to happen so we can better plan and adapt to the changes that are already baked into the global climate system: with current policies unchanged, we’re on course to exceed 2°C—more than 3.5°F—of warming this century.
Columbia University, where I’m a faculty member at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and at the Climate School, along with the University at Albany, State University of New York and Esri have just released an all-encompassing « Landscape Assessment of AI for Climate and Nature » that was commissioned by and in collaboration with the Bezos Earth Fund.
