Heat waves are increasingly scorching the globe, causing half a million deaths each year. Tech might be able to help.

Texas

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Heat waves continue to impact regions around the world, with recent events affecting South America, India, and Pakistan. The increasing temperatures and reduced rainfall have led to warnings of flash droughts and significant health risks, resulting in nearly half a million deaths annually. Researchers are exploring innovative technological solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of extreme heat.

One proposed solution is thermoregulatory clothing. Developed by Manchester University, this fabric uses graphene to manage body temperature by either releasing heat in warm weather or conserving it when cold. Another approach includes cooling paints which reflect sunlight, reducing surface temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius. This paint innovation comes from American researchers and an Israeli startup working on a multi-layered cooling coating.

Additionally, Chinese researchers have introduced a transparent film for windows that changes color to block sunlight. Unlike traditional tinted windows, this film can switch back to transparency, allowing light when needed. These technologies offer potential alternatives to air conditioning, which although effective, contributes to high energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming.

While these innovations hold promise, their widespread adoption faces several challenges. The high costs and need for infrastructure updates could delay implementation. Additionally, regulatory barriers must be addressed to facilitate the deployment of these technologies. Public policies such as subsidies, tax breaks, and public-private partnerships could help make these solutions more accessible, aiming to tackle the pressing issue of global heat waves.



How tech can help us to fight heat waves

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

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