Global Warming and Information Technology Authors Prosanta Ghosh

Aricent Inc

Abstract Global warming is a cause of concern for all of us living in this planet. Individuals, organizations and governments are doing their best to control the warming and make this tiny planet a livable place. Information technology, telecom/data network can play an equally important role along the side of other direct means for solving this menace. Many such technologies are in place and many such are to be developed or fine tuned to make them ready for use in reducing the emission of green house gas into atmosphere.
Keywords: Global Warming, WiMAX, Neural Network, Microprocessor.

Introduction It is now a well known fact that humanitys emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases have caused most of the global warming. This is going to cause a rise of average surface temperature, shrink sea ice, and sea-level rise due to ocean expansion, decrease snow cover, upward trend in hot extremes and heat waves, increase in the intensity of tropical cyclones etc.

On one side it is going to be a huge burden on the rising economy of the world. On the other side climate change is likely to result in a huge benefit for the United States and the world over the present and next century by creating new research area and employment opportunities. We need the initiative, global strategy, co-operation, and technology to reduce the threat of global warming today. Interestingly many such technologies are ripe for use and many such can be developed or fine tuned to make them ready for use in the coming years. Billions of Dollars, Euros, Yens, and Rupees are going to be spent by

governments, corporate sectors, NGOs, and individual to make sure that we are safe, and our world is safer.

This paper will try to analyze the cause of warming and possible solution for many of those using information technology and computers.

The top down approach is as follows.

1. To identify the major areas which are directly causing warming? 2. Finding out direct means to control the warming like reducing the emission of green house gases. 3. Indirect way to control the emission like educating humans to use alternate mode of transport whenever possible. 4. Ways to save ourselves for the effect of warming.

Causes of Global Warming Cause Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars Description Carbon dioxide emissions stem from the burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation. Carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars and light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and jeeps). Carbon Dioxide from Airplanes Deforestation, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Permafrost, Tundra City Gridlock Los Angeles and New York City alone wasted 600 million gallons of gas annually while just sitting in traffic. The 600 million gallons of gas translates to about 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide in just those two cities. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that aviation causes 3.5 percent of global warming After carbon emissions caused by humans, deforestation is the second principle cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Control the warming through direct means

Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants/Industry and direct means to control the warming: Green house gas emission from power plans and all other industry will be controlled by regulations, improving technologies and optimal power/fuel consumption. On the technology front followings can make a huge impact.

Solution: 1. The advanced Artificial Intelligence (Neural Network) based technology can be put in use for correct electrical demand forecast analysis. This will help in producing just enough power and end the era of producing excess power being wasted.

2. Optimize the use of electrical power by using advanced microprocessor based machines is a feasible solution.

3. We can reduce domestic power consumption by remotely controlling the house hold electronics/electrical equipment and switching them off when not is use. A different kind of man machine interfaces are also being explored, where pump operator can switch on/off the pump as an when he needs it remotely from anyplace , or a security personal can switch off all the lights of a office sitting at his own home after all the employee goes leaves office. There are products commercially available where electrical devices can be switched off/on through internet using GPRS technology.

Indirect way to control the emission

Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars, airplanes and indirect means to control the warming: Damage caused by Cars, Airplanes, city Gridlock can not be controlled through direct means. This damage is caused by each one of us everyday, and every-

moment. We need to educate ourselves and find out alternative ways to carry out our day to day work and see that we can reduce fuel consumption.

Solution: Fact is Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars contributes 20% of total emission, and Carbon Dioxide from Airplanes 3.5% of global warming. These can be indirectly controlled by encouraging people travel less and less. We travel from place to place, country to country, and continent to continent mostly for professional reason to carry out our day to day business. If we can somehow enable people to do all their work from home remotely or from anywhere any time, there is no reason why we cant stop people from traveling. What is preventing us from carrying out our work from anywhere/anytime? Is it technology and infrastructure? Improved quality of remote data connection could possibly help many of us who are attached to all kind service industry, IT industry, operations, security/surveillance related jobs do all our work without traveling to office/workplace everyday.

Next few decades world will witness billions of currencies being spent on improving Telecom/IT infrastructure to improve wireless data network. Fixed and mobile wireless broadband network are going the change our way of doing things, day to day traveling to the place of our work, bank, entertainment centers, post office or shopping centers. Most of these things can be carried out from the anywhere any time just by connecting to wireless data network. This is going to reduce the green house gas emitted from cars to a great extent.

We will see more and more private network with in a housing society, market place, entertainment center, hospital, airport etc. This will enable us to meet all our needs from wherever we are just by making a low cost secured wireless connection to the local network and eventually getting hooked to the network of our own choice.

Deforestation causing warming: This is a double edged sword. It not only reduces the absorption of CO2, it also damages the ecological balance, destroying and flora and fauna.

Solution: The efforts are on to make the world a paper less world. So that books, news, and journals, airline ticket are all maintained online and easily assessable from anywhere anytime. The services are already in place where tickets/receipts are delivered to mobile device and softcopy is produced on-demand. Sales and promotions can be carried out online line. This will result in huge amount of paper savings thus reducing the deforestation. Transpiration of books and papers from place to place can also be avoided by printing it on the spot where it is needed.

Save ourselves from the effect of warming

As the effect of warming becomes prominent, we see more and more natural calamities like cyclone, flood etc. Calamity such as flood and cyclone damages the communication (telephone and data) distribution network, making the relief and rehabilitation effort extremely difficult. It takes months to restore the network. Making the telephone/data distribution network completely wireless is an ideal solution. With the help of wireless broadband network, communication network can be set up/restored very quickly making the relief and rescue operation smoother.

Extreme weather such as heavy snow fall not only damages the wired communion network, it also prevents people from traveling to their work place because of snow filled roads. Day to day business is affected causing huge loss of person hours to corporate sectors and individuals. To make the last mile distribution network calamity safe, we need to make it completely wireless. If the communication network remains intact it is possible to be in business fully in sectors like services, Information technology etc.

Conclusion

As most of these technologies like WiMax etc are already evolving and commercial success is only a matter of time, it is quite evident that we will soon see a world where green house gas emission is under control. The search for alternative source of energy has already begun, and couple of them like bio-fuel etc is being commercially launched, we are not far away from solving the issue. However it all depends on our desire to solve the issue by reducing our carbon foot print to the maximum possible extent.

Reference: 1. Evidence is now unequivocal that humans are causing global warming UN report, 2 February 2007. www.un.org. 2. Can WiMAX Address Your Application? www.wimaxforum.org