It’s no secret that the world is in a health crisis when it comes to climate change. The issue of climate change is expected to increase the number of deaths excessively by 2050, affecting many countries across the globe. Governments and local authorities are exploring many methods to decrease these harmful levels of pollution, particularly by taking advantage of technology. Here are 5 cities that are using technology to help reduce the issue of climate change.
- Hamburg
Hamburg is considered an important port in Germany where many cruise liners and ships stop off during trade and visits. Unfortunately, when the ships are travelling to the city they burn fuels which contribute to the air quality in the environment. Because of this, officials in the government have been wanting to reduce the pollution caused by the shipsA smart solution that’s been introduced Hamburg is ‘shore connection’, an initiative introduced from Siemens which allows the ships to turn generators off while they’re waiting in the port but attract energy from the mainland.
- Glasgow
Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that has been introduced in recent years and Glasgow have adopted this to reduce air pollution. Sensing the City is a project that is helping the city to reduce emissions and improve the air quality.
Is uses an IoT sensor node to help monitor the air quality in the city through mobile technology. This is an alternative compared to Glasgow’s current sensing stations that are considered high-costing, but they work hand-in-hand to provide accurate data for the city. It can consider outlays from cars on the road, industrial ventilation systems in commercial buildings, the pollution given off from construction projects and more.
- Oakland
Oakland are using Google cars that have sensors attached to them to help map air pollution. They were introduced to the streets back in 2015 and drive over 400 miles to provide an adequate sample size to test with.
It helped to discover different pollution levels in the city, with some areas having major differences even though they were only one block apart. The findings provided evidence that high levels of air pollution are situated in their area and arguments can be made against further industrial projects being introduced.
- Beijing
Innovative ideas are never far in the spotlight with Beijing and another has been introduced to reduce the issues of climate change and air pollution. It’s evident from cloud of smog that currently covers the overhead of the city.
The smog-free tower was designed by Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde. The idea of the tower is to suck in harmful particles that hover in the air and replace it with clean filtered air around the city. It’s estimated that it cleans around 30,000 cubic meters of air every hour, using minimal energy.
- Manchester
Plans have been put in place by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Low-Emission Strategy (LES) to make a positive impact with climate change. The project is called the Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan which will look to reduce emissions by 2020, and make Manchester carbon neutral by 2040.
The UK government has already announced for the banning of gas and diesel cars by 2040 with the initiative to adopt hybrid and electric cars in the future. The project is known as the Road to Zero project with the goal of having cleaner air in cities.