The Climate Question
Your questions answered: The value of trees, "black" oxygen, AI's carbon footprint
Oct 21, 2024
Join Justin Rowlatt, BBC Climate Editor, Akshat Rathi, Senior Climate Reporter at Bloomberg, and Caroline Steel, Presenter for the BBC World Service. They tackle the critical role of sequoia trees and the consequences of deforestation. Discover the astonishing 'black' oxygen found in the depths of the ocean and its links to deep-sea mining. The conversation also highlights the carbon footprint of generative AI, revealing surprising truths about its environmental impact. Get ready for an engaging discussion on climate questions from listeners!
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Quick takeaways
- Deforestation significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and disrupts local climates, posing challenges in mitigating its adverse effects.
- Generative AI has a massive carbon footprint due to data center energy demands, yet it also offers potential solutions for climate change.
Deep dives
Dangers of Deforestation
Deforestation poses significant threats to the environment, contributing between 12% to 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions. When forests are cut down, the carbon previously stored in trees is released back into the atmosphere, often through the burning of the remaining wood or the degradation of soil. Moreover, deforestation leads to adverse local climatic effects, such as increased temperatures and reduced rainfall in certain regions, like the Amazon. Addressing deforestation remains an ongoing challenge, as efforts to halt it have not yet yielded the desired results.
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