I asked an artificial intelligence program to suggest practical ways to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and this is its reply.
AI: There are several practical ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere:
1.
Plant trees and other vegetation: Trees and other plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through a process called photosynthesis and store it as carbon in their leaves, stems, and roots. Planting trees and other vegetation can therefore help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
2.
Use renewable energy sources: Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power do not produce CO2 emissions when generating electricity, unlike fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Switching to renewable energy sources can therefore help to reduce CO2 emissions.
3.
Improve energy efficiency: Energy efficiency refers to the use of technologies and practices that reduce the amount of energy needed to perform a given task. For example, using energy-efficient light bulbs, appliances, and vehicles can help to reduce the amount of energy needed to light and power our homes and businesses, which in turn can help to reduce CO2 emissions.
4.
Reduce deforestation: Deforestation – the cutting down of forests – releases CO2 into the atmosphere, as the trees are no longer able to absorb and store it. Reducing deforestation can therefore help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
5.
Use public transportation or carpool: Transportation is a major source of CO2 emissions, as most vehicles run on fossil fuels. Using public transportation or carpooling instead of driving alone can help to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from transportation.
6.
Reduce consumption of meat and dairy products: The production of meat and dairy products generates significant amounts of CO2 emissions, due to the energy and resources required to raise and transport animals, as well as the methane produced by their digestive systems. Reducing consumption of these products can therefore help to reduce CO2 emissions.
What do you think of the response?
For what it’s worth, when I read AI’s response to my question, I can hear the even, measured tones of Siri, the AI app on my phone. Perhaps that uninvolved, even handed, disinterested approach that I hear in the response is exactly what is needed to solve the problem of how to stop the world-machine that we have built.
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Great, thorough response, thanks for that.. However — and it’s a mighty big “however” — isn’t the response simply an amalgam, a spouting out of what many people and authors discussing the climate crisis have been repeatedly saying?
So I guess some algorithm is responding for the AI machine? I did not read anything new in that response.
It is very nice to have such a resource, don’t get me wrong. And I have read how AI can admirably help us to combat the climate crisis. However, I don’t feel that with this oft-repeated response here.
I wonder what would happen if you challenged the AI resource to add something new to the equation.
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Good réponse, and I agree. What I was getting at – what I hope from AI, but not this specific program, is that it can come up with novel means because it is brighter than we are. Perhaps DeepMind or something like it can do this.
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