According to the United Nations, climate change is the defining issue of our time. Are we too late to reverse it? Many believe the development and adoption of emerging technology is an essential element in our fight against the clock. We asked four global experts.
1. Kate O’Neil, tech humanist
“Digitalisation helps fight climate change because it allows greater interconnection between humans.”
Kate O’Neill is the founder and CEO of KO Insights, a strategic consultancy committed to improving human experience at scale by guiding business and civic leaders to be both successful and respectful with human-centric data and technology, and by helping people better understand the human impact of emerging technologies. Here are her thoughts on how digitalisation can fight climate change.
2. Francisco Doblas Reyes, Director of the Earth Sciences Department at Barcelona Supercomputing Centre
“We are in time to prevent the most serious consequences of climate warming.”
Here is the our interview with the head of the Department of Earth Sciences of the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS). The Department hosts more than 70 engineers, physicists, mathematicians and social scientists who try to bring the latest developments in supercomputing and data analysis to provide the best information and services on climate and air quality.
3. Victoria Alonsopérez, UN Young Leader for the SDGs
“A successful society would be one in which sustainability is at the forefront of decision making.”
Victoria Alonsopérez is the founder of Chipsafer, a patented platform that can track cattle remotely and autonomously, reducing ranchers environmental impact and improving the safety and security of livestock. In 2017, she was invited to present Chipsafer at the Solutions Summit at United Nations Headquarters in New York during the UN General Assembly, and in 2018 the UN selected her as United Nations Young Leader for Sustainable Development Goals. Read the full article about her approach to sustainable development here.
4. Ravi Rajan, Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a member of the Greenpeace International Board of Directors
“Things like cobalt are really the blood diamonds of today.”
Ravi Rajan, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a member of the Greenpeace International Board of Directors, talks about morals and ethical failing when it comes to technology, as well as reframing the global discourse on the climate impact of technology. Read his interview here.