CLIMATE

CHANGE
4 solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change

GENERAL PROBLEM
Intesification of the greenhouse effect seen throughout
the globe through various environmental problems.

Air Pollution
To fight China’s poor air
quality index (AQI) of 194, a
reliable solution is Tech
Air’s filtering poles which
blend in, record air quality
data, and effectively cleans
the local air. The process
begins by drawing in air,
monitoring it, filtering, then
dispelling the clean air in
which the early tests prove
40% reduction of particulate
matter 2.5.

Heat
India is ranked fourth in
having the most visible
effects of climate change
based on a study from 2015
(Melchoir et al.). Droughts
are commonly caused by
warming, because of which
some of the population’s
water supply is cut short. In
1998, 70% of the coral reef around Lakshadweep and the
Andamans died off due to rising water temperatures
(Normile). The strategy to solve this problem is to install a
film which is highly reflective and emits infrared radiation
within a specific wavelength (8-13 micrometers). This
specific wavelength does not get trapped within the
atmosphere. By installing this film onto roofs of buildings
throughout India, it cools down the surrounding area by
pushing the infrared radiation back out the atmosphere.
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Flooding
In the German district of Ahrweiler, where most houses are
situated in valleys, the chance of floods from heavy
precipitation has been made 9 times more likely due to
climate change (CNN). A solution to this is adopting the
Chinese invention of a ‘sponge city’, which collects, stores,
and infiltrates stormwater ecologically without large-scale
artificial channel improvement works.

It mainly involves installing bioswales (eco-channels

conveying water) and green roofs (capturing 80% of rainfall)
and retention tanks (infiltrating stormwater for utilization as
needed eg irrigating gardens or flushing toilets).
Furthermore, it is a feasible option for Germany’s leading
economy.

Wild fires
The solution revolves around
fire suppression and retardants
Distribute fire-retarding
hydrogel using agricultural
spraying equipment or aircraft
to high-risk areas. The fire-
retarding hydrogel is composed
of only non-toxic ingredients
used in food, drug, cosmetics, and agricultural products.
This product was designed by Standford University to
prevent human-caused fires which often starts roadsides
because 85% of wildfire in the US are caused by humans
(Jordan). However, this fire-retarding hydrogel can be used
to prevent wildfire in Australia. Since high temperatures and
low humidity due to heatwave from climate change dry out
fuels, causing bushes to ignite, the fire-retarding hydrogel
can be sprayed on Topographical features of landscapes
where fire spreads rapidly regarding that hot air rises.
Therefore, fire-retarding hydrogel can be sprayed on slope,
elevation and aspect during June through August.
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