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In 2018, 7.7M tonnes of solid waste was created, which actually was a decrease of 9,000 tonnes compared to 2017 (NEA, 2019). However, to put this into perspective, the amount of waste recycled was also reduced, but by 90,000 tonnes (NEA, 2019). This can be attributed to many factors, such as the global increase of plastic production, which is one of the least recycled materials (only 4% of plastic in 2018 was recycled) (Senet, 2019). Increases in waste that is not recycled pose a huge threat to the planet: it leads to the loss of species, contamination of ecosystems, air pollution, and also the destruction of beautiful sceneries (European Environmental Agency, 2016). Many different companies are starting to leverage technology advancements however, to actually make use of a waste as a resource.

The city of São Paulo has 12.5M people, and produces 8% of Brazil’s waste. This translates to 20,000 tonnes daily. Through a blockchain software by a start-up, the waste practices of the city are analysed and released, such as data on water usage, energy usage, or what firms different companies hire to manage their waste. This practice is expected to increase the efficiency of waste management; it is estimated that $30M will be saved in the reduction of shipments to landfills. Instead of these shipments being scheduled at a fixed period in time, they are now done based on the data provided, so the companies know when trucks will be full, maximising utility. Additionally, before this service, only 16,000 companies (a mere 5% of the companies situated in São Paulo) hired specialist waste managers. After only 90 days of this service, the number has jumped to 35,000 companies, and the number of waste managing companies increased drastically from 80 to 400! For one of the most populated cities on world, the digitisation of waste management has led to economic, social and environmental growth, as people and companies become more aware of how inefficient their waste management practices were prior, and how optimised they can become. This successful technology has turned waste in São Paulo from literal waste to an opportunity to exploit. (Sousa 2019)

Another example is seen in Lisbon, with their digitised trash containers. By keeping real-life information on the weight inside the containers, garbage trucks and/or trash management companies know when to schedule pick-ups and what specific paths to take (hence avoiding streets where the containers may not be full), again optimising the process overall. The use of the IoT benefits all players, as not only do companies benefit, but also the citizens: there is less waste seen now that trash cans are emptied when they need to be empty, avoiding spillovers of trash. (Georgieva, 2019)

The digitisation of the waste management industry has revolutionised cities, and will likely only improve the situation. However, this is simply a response to the problem, but not a fix to the underlying problem. With waste production continuously increasing, this is indeed an opportunity for waste management companies. However, if waste production does not decrease, the planet will be faced with more, harsher threats. For waste to truly be an opportunity for all, technology needs to be leveraged to introduce a circular economy in all industries. A circular economy would allow us to not have to exploit as many natural resources, as many materials can simply be reformulated and reused. It would also reduce the disposal of waste, avoiding another instance of a Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

 

References

European Environment Agency. (2019). Waste: a problem or a resource?. [online] Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2014/articles/waste-a-problem-or-a-resource#targetText=Air%20pollution%2C%20climate%20change%2C%20soil,gas%20linked%20to%20climate%20change. [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

Georgieva, O. (2019). Garbage bins in Lisbon tell when they are full. [online] Themayor.eu. Available at: https://www.themayor.eu/en/garbage-bins-in-lisbon-tell-when-they-are-full [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

NEA. (2019). Waste Statistics and Overall Recycling. [online] Available at: https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling#targetText=Key%20highlights,to%2060%20percent%20in%202018. [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

Senet, S. (2019). Plastic production on the rise worldwide but slowing in Europe. [online] www.euractiv.com. Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/while-global-plastic-production-is-increasing-worldwide-it-is-slowin-down-in-europe/#targetText=After%20the%20manufacturing%20of%20plastics,fell%20by%204.3%25%20in%202018.&targetText=At%20a%20global%20level%2C%20plastic,compared%20to%20the%20previous%20year. [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

Sousa, C. (2019). The world produces 2 billion tons of trash. Can technology help?. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/the-benefits-of-digitizing-waste-management/ [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

 

5/5 (1)

The sixth mass extinction is here, and unlike previous ones, this has little to do with high volcanic activity or an asteroid hitting the Earth. Instead, the two biggest drivers of the Holocene (as it is also known), are largely man-driven: deforestation and climate change (Woodward, 2019). Deforestation destroys many species’ habitats, while climate change means that many species have to survive in never before-seen conditions.

The common example given when discussing climate change’s effects on animals is the polar bear: as the sea ice melts, the polar bear faces larger difficulties finding its main prey, the ringed seal (Pidcock, 2015), as it lives on the sea ice edge. There are other, such as the death of the last male northern white rhino in 2018 (Gibbens, 2018). However, technological improvements are deemed promising to tip the scales of the Holocene in favour of species conservation.

Take CRISPR technology, which is extremely precise genetic modification. While this means that theoretically, animals born in captivity could be genetically modified to be able to face harsher conditions (eventually, this technology is not this developed as of yet), this would not tackle the actual drivers of the Holocene. Instead, this technology could be used to create man-made palm oil. The extraction and growth of palm oil is one of the few main drivers of deforestation (Fritts, 2018), and if a man-made, potentially more effective way of growing palm oil was arranged, perhaps this would help lower deforestation, and could help the population of Orangutans in Borneo, which has dramatically decreased by 150,000 in 16 years (Sample, 2018). Similarly, it could be applied to produce man-made ivory, perhaps making rhinos lesser targets. (Pacheco, 2018). Naturally, CRISPR (and other genetic modification technologies) have ethical implications to them.

Another perhaps more attainable technology is the use of AI for conservation programs. These programs require large volumes of data collection, such as medical data, feeding data, sperm counts, among others (Fryer, 2018), to better understand the animal’s lifecycle, sexual cycles, best environment and best potential matches, to continue promoting biodiversity (Fryer, 2018). AI can much more efficiently and quickly handle large volumes of data, and potentially find more hidden patterns. Essentially, AI could not only assist, but enhance the monitoring of data to help conserve biodiversity.

Although these (and other) technologies are great as raw ideas, they have to be embedded together. For example, AI might make data processing quicker, but collecting the data by hand would be extremely time-consuming. Drones on the other hand, could make the process more efficient, as it can also reach the more remote, unreachable areas to study animal patterns, potentially providing richer information.

It is clear to see that technologies definitely have the power to empower humans to preserve biodiversity and prevent the Holocene. However, they still do not truly challenge the real issues of climate change or deforestation, as these depend more heavily on the choices that humans make. On the other hand, I believe these new technologies (and other current ones) are crucial, and will be critical in helping save many of the species that are at risk of extinction in the near future. For example, scientists recently extracted eggs from the two last surviving northern white rhinos, and will use in-vitro fertilization to hopefully keep the species alive (Gilliland, 2019).

References:

Fritts, R. (2018). A New Study Reveals Global Drivers of Deforestation. [online] Pacific Standard. Available at: https://psmag.com/environment/whats-driving-global-deforestation [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Fryer, T. (2018). Conservation technology: can science save endangered species?. [online] Eandt.theiet.org. Available at: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2018/05/conservation-technology-can-science-save-endangered-species/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Gibbens, S. (2018). After Last Male’s Death, Is the Northern White Rhino Doomed?. [online] Nationalgeographic.com. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/03/northern-white-rhino-male-sudan-death-extinction-spd/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Gilliland, H. (2019). Bold effort to save rhino completes critical step. [online] Nationalgeographic.com. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/plan-save-northern-white-rhino-ivf/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Pacheco, X. (2018). How Technology Can Transform Wildlife Conservation. [online] Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/books/green-technologies-to-improve-the-environment-on-earth/how-technology-can-transform-wildlife-conservation [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Pidcock, R. (2015). Polar bears and climate change: What does the science say? | Carbon Brief. [online] Carbon Brief. Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/polar-bears-and-climate-change-what-does-the-science-say [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Sample, I. (2018). Dramatic decline in Borneo’s orangutan population as 150,000 lost in 16 years. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/15/dramatic-decline-in-borneos-orangutan-population-as-150000-lost-in-16-years [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].

Woodward, A. (2019). 17 signs we’re in the middle of a 6th mass extinction. [online] Business Insider Nederland. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.nl/signs-of-6th-mass-extinction-2019-3?international=true&r=US [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].