A few weeks ago, I was reflecting on the role that technology plays in our lives since it has become a crucial element in recent years. From phones, smartwatches to smart homes and self-driving cars. The same happens at industrial levels, where the presence of technology in different processes is enormous. This continuously helps to improve vital matters such as the estimation of results, time reduction, or the increase in safety. However, where does the technology stand when it comes to the environment?

There is no doubt that technology provides us with prominent opportunities to develop and expand. Moreover, we know many examples of how technology and algorithms help us map and protect the ecosystem.  A case in point is the use of drones in Australia to fly over reefs and collect data on their bleaching, or how The Nature Conservancy (an NGO) is generating an algorithm to prevent illegal fishing.

Did you know that sending an email or that every line of code we write to program an artificial intelligence system results in pollution, just like many of the activities we perform in our daily lives? So how can we know exactly how the users’ activity online affects the environment?

It makes sense that the exponential increase in the use of the Internet and artificial intelligence over the last few years results in more and more energy needed to support the massive computing that makes this possible.

Well, this is the question that the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute (Mila) has been addressing, along with a data science team from BCG and the University of Pennsylvania. And to come up with an answer, they have developed CodeCarbon, an open-source tool capable of quantifying the carbon dioxide generated by algorithm programming.

Thus, according to the article in El País Retina, “the system consists of adding one more line of code that calculates the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the devices that execute the code. Then, results are shown in comparison with data such as kilometers driven, or hours of television watched in an average home. This way, programmers can understand how much their code is polluting. The purpose of this tool is none other than to encourage developers to optimize the efficiency of their work.

Clearly, no one is exempt from this challenge, and this is another example of how we all, individuals, organizations, institutions, and entire industries, must contribute to optimize our work and reduce our footprint. From Nakasawa, we have also played our part in facing this challenge by increasing the productivity and efficiency of oil wells with our Super Matroid Heater technology.

Do you want to know the approximate amount of pollution you produce in your day to day? This link can help you calculate this so you can start taking measures and doing your bit.

by info@nakasawaresources.com