Drones have evolved significantly from their initial use primarily for recreational purposes. They’ve become one of the most important technologies of our time, and they’re making an impact in many different sectors. They are even having a substantial effect on how we study and mitigate climate change. Here are six examples of how drones are impacting climate change.
How Drones Can Help Mitigate Climate Change
1. Collecting Data
Drones play an increasingly important role in the study of climate change because they’re excellent tools for data collection. They can be outfitted with a range of sensors and sent to remote or hard-to-access areas to quickly collect information. Previously, scientists would have collected this data using satellites, planes, helicopters, or by going out on foot. Using drones makes this data collection much faster, safer, and cost-effective.
Scientists can utilize drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to assess the impacts of climate change. For example, researchers from Nicholls State University are using drones to track erosion on Louisiana’s barrier islands. Researchers from Cornell are using UAVs to measure the surface reflectivity of parts of the Earth’s surface, which determines whether the ground absorbs or reflects sunlight, resulting in either heating or cooling.
2. Planting Trees
Planting trees helps combat climate change because they absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Trees, of course, also have a range of other environmental benefits.
The research being conducted by the Cornell scientists mentioned above relates to this. Measuring surface reflectivity enables researchers to identify the optimal locations for planting trees to mitigate global warming. Planting trees in an area with lots of highly reflective snow, for example, could result in warming because it makes the surface darker. Areas with low reflectivity are ideal for planting trees.
UAVs can also help with planting trees. A company called BioCarbon Engineering has built drones that can plant seeds in precise locations at a rate of 120 per minute. That’s much faster than a human worker could.
3. Reducing Waste
The construction sector is responsible for 25 to 40 percent of the solid waste stream in the U.S. It’s difficult to accurately predict how much material you’ll need for a construction project, and because of this, as much as 15 percent of the material ordered for construction ends up in a landfill. Excess waste is detrimental to the environment, but construction materials can be particularly carbon-intensive. Cement manufacturers, for instance, account for approximately five percent of global CO2 emissions. Construction equipment also typically runs on diesel and produces substantial emissions.
Drones enable construction site managers to obtain an overhead view of their work sites, allowing them to enhance their project planning and progress monitoring. Using UAVs, workers can calculate the available stockpile of materials and then order more if needed or cancel unnecessary orders. Getting an overview of the area also enables better planning of movement around the site, potentially reducing emissions from vehicles
4. Decreasing Travel-Related Emissions
Twenty-three percent of transportation emissions come from medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, the kind used to ship packages to homes, businesses, and warehouses. Numerous companies are now exploring the use of drones to help increase efficiency and reduce emissions in their delivery services.
A recent study confirmed that, in some cases, using drones would produce fewer emissions than using trucks. The exact savings varied based on numerous factors, and the researchers noted that drones are only practical for certain small packages. Using a drone to deliver a small package in California resulted in 54 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using a diesel truck, according to the study. In Missouri, the difference was 23 percent.
5. Inspecting Renewable Energy Equipment
Switching to renewable energy is critical for fighting climate change. Drones offer numerous benefits to renewable energy companies, thereby reducing the cost of renewable energy.
Utilities can use drones to inspect wind turbines and solar fields. Inspecting a wind turbine is typically a dangerous operation in which a worker must climb to the top of the turbine and then inspect while suspended from cables. Drones eliminate the need for this, thereby improving worker safety. Additionally, drones can inspect large fields of solar panels much more quickly than human inspectors, saving the utility time and money. Using UAVs can also speed up residential rooftop solar installations, as inspecting the roof with a drone can reduce solar system measurement times by 50 percent.
As drones become more advanced and affordable, they’re having a more significant impact on more sectors. One area where they’re making a substantial difference is climate change. UAVs are proving to be an excellent partner in the fight to study climate change, slow its progression, and mitigate its impacts.
Photo by Jason Mavrommatis on Unsplash
