How tech can help us to fight heat waves

DW (English)

Heat waves are increasingly scorching the globe, causing half a million deaths each year. How can new technology help, and how can we use the technology we know better?

Transcript

00:00 Sweating buckets these days? You're not alone.

00:02 Heatwaves are scorching the globe.

00:05 Earlier this year, one hit South America.

00:07 Right now, it's happening in India.

00:09 And a few days ago, Pakistan's meteorological department

00:12 warned that a flash drought could be imminent

00:14 due to rapidly increasing temperatures and reduced rainfall.

00:18 The number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing rapidly,

00:21 and nearly half a million lives are lost to it each year.

00:25 The situation is grim, and we need solutions fast.

00:29 But how can we deal with the heat?

00:31 Here are three tech solutions that might help.

00:35 The first, thermoregulatory clothing.

00:38 Manchester University developed a fabric using graphene

00:41 that releases heat in hot weather and conserves it when it's cold.

00:45 So, how does it work?

00:46 Well, our bodies radiate heat in the form of electromagnetic waves.

00:51 Graphene can help regulate the body temperature,

00:53 either keeping the heat in or releasing it,

00:56 depending on how its structure is manipulated.

00:59 Another group of researchers propose flaps

01:01 that respond to temperature,

01:03 staying closed when it's cold

01:05 and bending to release excess heat when it's hot.

01:08 The second solution, cooling paint.

01:11 American researchers developed a paint that reflects 98% of sunlight,

01:15 cooling surfaces up to 10 degrees Celsius

01:18 below ambient temperature.

01:20 Meanwhile, an Israeli start-up is working on a multi-layered coating

01:24 that cools when hit by sunlight.

01:26 The sunlight is absorbed by the upper layers

01:28 and re-emitted with less energy.

01:30 The remaining energy causes heat to emit from the lower layer,

01:33 which cools it down.

01:34 And finally, sunglasses for windows.

01:38 In China, researchers created a transparent film

01:41 that changes colour and blocks sunlight.

01:44 Unlike traditionally tinted windows,

01:46 this film can switch back to being transparent,

01:48 letting light in when it's needed.

01:50 Sounds pretty nice, but why can't we all just use air conditioning?

01:55 It's been our go-to solution for combating heat,

01:58 but air conditioning is simply not sustainable.

02:01 AC units are energy hogs,

02:03 leading to high electricity consumption

02:05 and more greenhouse gas emissions,

02:07 which accelerates global warming.

02:10 And that brings us to the real problem.

02:12 Battling heatwaves is only battling the symptoms.

02:15 As long as we're not doing everything we can

02:17 to slow down climate change,

02:18 they will only get worse.

02:20 So how can we use ACs sustainably?

02:24 Well, first, the energy used to power air conditioners

02:27 needs to be green -

02:29 wind, solar, water, you name it.

02:31 Smart grids could then optimise energy distribution,

02:34 reducing losses and allowing more devices to be powered.

02:37 This would work by using AI

02:39 and lots of data gathered from sensors around cities.

02:43 Let's say, for example, that temperatures are rising in a certain area.

02:47 The smart system would then distribute more power to that zone

02:50 because it expects people to turn on their AC units.

02:53 Sounds good, but when will we actually get there?

02:57 Well, even though these technologies have potential,

03:00 widespread adoption is still a long way off.

03:03 Firstly, they're pricey.

03:05 Not every citizen or even every city

03:07 can afford to build a smart grid or a house with cooling paint.

03:10 Secondly, old infrastructure needs to be updated,

03:13 which takes time, resources and a big workforce.

03:16 And lastly, regulatory hurdles can delay the implementation of the tech.

03:21 For me, lawmakers need to find a way to cut the red tape

03:25 and make these solutions more affordable and achievable.

03:28 Subsidies, tax breaks, public-private partnerships -

03:31 these are some of the ways which could help move climate tech forward.

03:34 Because sooner rather than later,

03:36 we'll need to actually deal with this nearing climate catastrophe.

03:40 That's it from me. See you next time.

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