Little by little, awareness is growing in society about how the digital actions we take, from asking ChatGPT for something to create an image with a platform like Copilot, negatively impact the environment.
For example, A data center can currently consume between 1.7 and 2.2 million liters of water per day just for cooling… What if Artificial Intelligence (AI) helped us combat climate change instead of aggravating it?
That is the proposal of several organizations and companies, which believe that there are many possibilities for this technology that can process huge volumes of information and help us make better decisions.
The place where a real revolution could begin is absolutely unexpected: the traffic lights on every corner.
In large cities, most of the polluting gases are generated when cars stop and then start.
The thing is Land transportation is one of the largest sources of global greenhouse gas emissions.. Large cities are a critical point for pollution, since up to 29 times more emissions are produced there than on a road or highway because most of the gases are generated on corners, when vehicles stop and then have to start
That’s why orOptimizing current traffic lights can be a very efficient way to start combating climate change. Green Light is an initiative by Google to use the information coming from all Google Maps users, process it in real time thanks to machine learning algorithms and improve circulation to avoid unnecessary traffic jams.
The project recreates the urban area of the city, receiving updates on daily traffic patterns and the programming of traffic lights on streets and avenues.
This allows the system to create a model of the interaction between vehicles and traffic lights, indicating changes in intervals and providing priority in the most congested arteries. Green Light It is very powerful and capable of analyzing thousands of intersections simultaneously.
Optimizing the current traffic light network can be an efficient way to combat climate change because it would avoid traffic jams.
This week the results of a series of tests that were carried out in Haifa, Bangalore and Rio de Janeiro with encouraging results: a 30 percent reduction in idling cars and up to 10 percent fewer emissions at intersections.
There is no doubt that the greatest attraction of Green Light the thing is does not require much investment or infrastructure as it uses the existing traffic light network to create dynamic green waves that improve traffic flow by minimizing stop-and-go emissions.
What’s more, those cities that have more basic or less technological traffic systems are those where better results are seen.
Although activities such as coal, gas and oil production or air transport are largely responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions, Working in areas closer to the population such as urban traffic is a good step to dream that soon we can experience cleaner cities and also a healthier planet.