How tech can help us to fight heat waves
Heat waves are increasingly scorching the globe, causing half a million deaths each year. How can new technology help, and how can we use the technology we know better?
Category
ЁЯЧЮ
NewsTranscript
00:00 Sweating buckets these days? You're not alone.
00:02 Heatwaves are scorching the globe.
00:05 Earlier this year, one hit South America.
00:07 Right now, it's happening in India.
00:09 And a few days ago, Pakistan's meteorological department
00:12 warned that a flash drought could be imminent
00:14 due to rapidly increasing temperatures and reduced rainfall.
00:18 The number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing rapidly,
00:21 and nearly half a million lives are lost to it each year.
00:25 The situation is grim, and we need solutions fast.
00:29 But how can we deal with the heat?
00:31 Here are three tech solutions that might help.
00:35 The first, thermoregulatory clothing.
00:38 Manchester University developed a fabric using graphene
00:41 that releases heat in hot weather and conserves it when it's cold.
00:45 So, how does it work?
00:46 Well, our bodies radiate heat in the form of electromagnetic waves.
00:51 Graphene can help regulate the body temperature,
00:53 either keeping the heat in or releasing it,
00:56 depending on how its structure is manipulated.
00:59 Another group of researchers propose flaps
01:01 that respond to temperature,
01:03 staying closed when it's cold
01:05 and bending to release excess heat when it's hot.
01:08 The second solution, cooling paint.
01:11 American researchers developed a paint that reflects 98% of sunlight,
01:15 cooling surfaces up to 10 degrees Celsius
01:18 below ambient temperature.
01:20 Meanwhile, an Israeli start-up is working on a multi-layered coating
01:24 that cools when hit by sunlight.
01:26 The sunlight is absorbed by the upper layers
01:28 and re-emitted with less energy.
01:30 The remaining energy causes heat to emit from the lower layer,
01:33 which cools it down.
01:34 And finally, sunglasses for windows.
01:38 In China, researchers created a transparent film
01:41 that changes colour and blocks sunlight.
01:44 Unlike traditionally tinted windows,
01:46 this film can switch back to being transparent,
01:48 letting light in when it's needed.
01:50 Sounds pretty nice, but why can't we all just use air conditioning?
01:55 It's been our go-to solution for combating heat,
01:58 but air conditioning is simply not sustainable.
02:01 AC units are energy hogs,
02:03 leading to high electricity consumption
02:05 and more greenhouse gas emissions,
02:07 which accelerates global warming.
02:10 And that brings us to the real problem.
02:12 Battling heatwaves is only battling the symptoms.
02:15 As long as we're not doing everything we can
02:17 to slow down climate change,
02:18 they will only get worse.
02:20 So how can we use ACs sustainably?
02:24 Well, first, the energy used to power air conditioners
02:27 needs to be green -
02:29 wind, solar, water, you name it.
02:31 Smart grids could then optimise energy distribution,
02:34 reducing losses and allowing more devices to be powered.
02:37 This would work by using AI
02:39 and lots of data gathered from sensors around cities.
02:43 Let's say, for example, that temperatures are rising in a certain area.
02:47 The smart system would then distribute more power to that zone
02:50 because it expects people to turn on their AC units.
02:53 Sounds good, but when will we actually get there?
02:57 Well, even though these technologies have potential,
03:00 widespread adoption is still a long way off.
03:03 Firstly, they're pricey.
03:05 Not every citizen or even every city
03:07 can afford to build a smart grid or a house with cooling paint.
03:10 Secondly, old infrastructure needs to be updated,
03:13 which takes time, resources and a big workforce.
03:16 And lastly, regulatory hurdles can delay the implementation of the tech.
03:21 For me, lawmakers need to find a way to cut the red tape
03:25 and make these solutions more affordable and achievable.
03:28 Subsidies, tax breaks, public-private partnerships -
03:31 these are some of the ways which could help move climate tech forward.
03:34 Because sooner rather than later,
03:36 we'll need to actually deal with this nearing climate catastrophe.
03:40 That's it from me. See you next time.
03:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]