Nature is a symbol of survival and wisdom. We live in an era where we have been able to destroy nature even more than our ancestors did. As a result, the human race needs to understand better why and how certain things happen. Nature is a cornerstone of our existence, but it can also teach us many lessons about the harm we are inflicting on ourselves.
Historically we wouldn't think of Monther Nature and the Internet of Things in the same sentence. Nature is a central source of many things we take for granted like water, food, materials, and more. We are damaging nature by frequently polluting, deforestation, and other actions that affect our environment.
On the other hand, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects that contains embedded technologies for communication and interaction with the inner state of an external environment (Gartner Definition).
At the beginning of this century, entrepreneurs and scientists began to harness the power of the "Internet of Things" (IoT). IoT innovations are changing the way people live.
Whether it's a smart irrigation system or a thermostat, intelligent technologies help protect the atmosphere by reducing water and food waste. In the modern era, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence help us stay on top of our daily routines and provide efficient ways for businesses to reduce water consumption and food waste have effectively lowered energy usage and eliminated greenhouse gas emissions.
Evidently, Yoav Lurie began to positively impact this world with a thermostat device to reduce electricity costs.
We're at a crossroads. Climate change, pollution and environmental crises are all in the rearview mirror. We've got to do something bold to clean up our act, turn over a new leaf, and reverse the grim trend. The sustainability experts say that artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) can help us explore and monitor natural resources more effectively.
According to IoT Analytics and the World Economic Forum, 84% of IoT deployments address the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ok. But how exactly is IoT helping the global economy solve sustainability issues?
The Internet of Things (IoT) can significantly benefit the global economy by converting data into valuable information for executives and engineers to make better decisions. AI and IoT both play a big part in finding new solutions to environmental problems. IoT helps increase our understanding of what's happening to the world's natural resources, which allows us to solve issues and find answers.
In principle, IoT and AI can drive more efficient environmental systems observations by converting data into information to mitigate natural resources.
Rescuing the environments with technology: 4 Ways, IoT is Helping Mother Nature
Electronic Waste Management
E-waste is the waste produced from unused, broken or obsolete electronic equipment. It is the world's fastest-growing waste stream, with an estimated 4 billion 'e-waste' products being created worldwide every year, and the demand for electronic scrap rising at a rate of 20% a year.
E-waste recycling is a process for recycling materials from old equipment used in a new product. Recycling plants for digital scrap disassemble, process, and prepare the materials, components, and goods in digital scrap for use or reuse as new products.
Worrying about the landfill problem isn't the only environmental issue e-waste presents. Proper recycling of our electronics benefits our planet as well as the workplace and economy. Even though we don't reap the same substantial financial benefits from recycled waste, we generate new products faster than if we throw everything away.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 80% of electronics cannot be recycled.
Electronic devices with embedded sensors are just trendy; they also help monitor the device's health and determine the end of life cycles. Our lives are increasingly digital, and people are using more devices every day. Connected devices can be tracked in real-time. When the device is returned to the manufacturer or collection centre, the components can either be reused, repaired or safely disposed of, limiting the environmental impact due to e-waste.
Ecological Observing & Endangered Species preservation
The connected world will have a significant impact on the natural world and society. Some of the natural world applications, utilising sensors and connected devices to measure and generate data to monitor and protect the environment proactively include water supplies, radioactivity, volcanic action, temperature, water quality and air pollution.
Technology is increasingly an essential tool in saving entire species from extinction. Modern conservationists rely on technology to effectively monitor African nations' savannahs to combat poaching and preserve endangered species.
IoT-enabled sensors and collars with light technology, and GPS tracking, is used to monitor animal behaviour and movement in real-time. These systems can send data to park or zoo officials, who analyse the data to identify endangered animals in distress and alert the zoo's staff.
Drones can also be used so that the team can locate and monitor endangered animals from a safe distance and detect wildfires before they spread.
Smart Farming
Smart farming involves integrating agricultural practices with technologies to produce higher agricultural yields with greater efficiency.
In this era, excellent crop yield is essential to business and governments. Smart farming can ensure more productive and sustainable agricultural production based on more precise, resource-efficient approaches, which significantly impact global food production.
With IoT-enabled smart farms, farmers, agriculture workers, and engineers can access more accurate and relevant data. Data collection and analysis is accelerated, enabling agricultural workers and engineers to improve production, detect plant diseases and pesticide invasions quicker, and expedite Food Safety assessment procedures.
However, it's not just about big data. Accurate data is essential, but it's not all the farmers and agricultural workers need. IoT technology can streamline production, improve quality control, and ensure more accurate targeting of preventative actions (e.g. herbicide, fungicide application) to minimise losses. By using intelligent agricultural sensors to monitor crops' condition, farmers can precisely define how many pesticides and fertilisers they need to achieve optimum efficiency.
Fighting Deforestation
Deforestation is a massive issue in our world today. A lot of work needs to go into monitoring it. Forests are disappearing faster than ever, and human impact on the land threatens many species' health worldwide.
It's easy to condemn those who are engaged in the destructive business of deforestation, but effective conservation must involve locals and less-connected communities as well.
With GPS sensors, satellites, cloud computing, and drones, we get a wealth of information at our fingertips we can use to monitor deforestation from space.
For instance, GFW 2.0 (Global Forest Watch) combines satellite imaging, cloud technology, and cell phone data, to guide volunteers to fight illegal harvesting and deforestation.
The same technology has the potential to provide a modern way to plant trees. Drones and precision farming machines can be used to determine the landscape with 3D mapping data. We will use these images and data to assess each tree's nutrient content, biodiversity, and topography before planting a precise seed pod at each position.
Reforestation with drones may not solve all problems, but it could certainly be a big step in the right direction. It will help us slow down deforestation and combat greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Conclusion
The connected world has many predictable benefits. The massive number of IoT applications under discussion further proves that IoT can be the next big thing to eliminate environmental threats. Looking back at all the technology that has been invented to save us from ecological destruction, not everything has worked out well. Future technology is crucial for stopping environmental destruction. It is more evident than ever that we need to change our ways to prevent environmental devastation.
Whether you're a nature lover, environmentalist or someone who walks every day, saving the environment through technology helps us build better ecosystems and repair the damage we've done to our planet with innovative conservation techniques.
Technology has helped us simplify our lives, make the world a smaller place, solve some of our most complicated problems, fight deadly diseases, and make life easier.
Nature offers us many services and resources, and there is a need to deal with the environment and other quality of life issues. IoT and AI are part of an economy moving away from the "buy-and-throw" model that causes worldwide ecological problems.
We are a connected generation, and IoT will help us build a sustainable future, not only for our children but also for future generations.
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Nassia Skoulikariti
Founder/CEO Apiro Data Ltd
Get in touch and let’s build something great together!