Artificial intelligence, quantum computing and satellites have the potential to exponentially improve our capability to monitor and predict the impacts of climate change on our environment.

As floods and natural disasters hit Nepal and other countries this summer, in this episode of the On Thin Ice podcast we look at how new technologies and other proven methods can help stay safe in the mountains and in the great outdoors.

Host Paolo Bosonin speaks with Laura Kottlowski, professional ice skater and influencer with tens of millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram, and Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, glaciologist at ICIMOD.

Laura Kottlowski shares her insights from years of studying frozen lakes around the world, and explains how her discipline is having to adapt to the loss of ice around the world, where many natural ice rinks are quickly disappearing.

Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, who has been closely watching the evolution of glaciers around Mount Everest and other parts of the Himalayas, breaks down some of the dangers faced by local populations: with melting glaciers, there are more and more lakes that could outburst and cause massive damage to villages and people living downstream.

But Tenzing, Laura and other scientists say artificial intelligence and machine learning can scale up their ability to process satellite images and other data, allowing for a better understanding of the consequences of higher temperatures on our world’s ice - and on the communities whose lives depend on it.

So can AI help us mitigate the risks brought by climate change? Listen to On Thin Ice, produced in partnership with the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation.

Head to https://www.ballypeakoutlook.org/ to learn more about the foundation, which is on a mission to safeguard the world's fragile mountain habitats from the adverse effects of global warming and excessive tourism.

LINKS:

https://www.ballypeakoutlook.org/

https://www.iceworm.media

https://www.instagram.com/laurakottlowski/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@laura.kottlowski?lang=en

https://www.icimod.org/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/group/ai-for-good-research-lab/ai-for-good-book/

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Production: Iceworm Media

Editorial advisor: David Vetter

Video Editor: Canyon James

Original Music: Nadir Cassim

TAGS:

AI, Artifical Intelligence, Satellites, Climate Change, AI for Good, science, alpinism, climbing, glaciologist, Sherpa, Namche Bazar, Thame, Lobuche, Quantum computing, climate change, Everest, Floods, disasters, Nepal, Colorado, Ice Skating, TikTok, Instgram, Influencer, Safety, Ice, Thin Ice, Natural Rinks

Would you like to suggest guests and projects that we should cover? Do you have feedback or questions? Email paolo@iceworm.media

Can Africa become the next innovation hub for climate tech?

From solar power to recycled materials and carbon capture, an array of technological advances are promising to help humanity live more sustainably–and fight global warming. But for now, much of that tech is still out of reach for most people in the Global South.

In Africa, some pioneering entrepreneurs and advocates are trying to change that: in this episode of On Thin Ice, host Paolo Bosonin speaks with climate entrepreneur Bilha Ndirangu and alpinist Saray Khumalo, who share their strategies for making Africa a global climate innovation hub.

Saray, who is credited with breaking several records, including becoming the first Black woman to complete the so-called Seven Summits, climbs and guides groups to raise money to bring a better education to children across the continent.

Bilha is known for leading several climate related projects in Africa, and she recently announced an ambitious partnership with ClimeWorks of Switzerland to build a massive carbon capture facility.

So what’s at stake for a continent that emits a small percentage of global emissions, and yet faces direct consequences of climate change, such as droughts, natural disasters, and the disappearance of glaciers?

Bilha and Saray say the solutions lie in Africa’s young population, in its rich natural resources, and fast-growing economies.

On Thin Ice is produced by Iceworm Media, in partnership with the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation. Head to ballypeakoutlook.org/ to learn more about the foundation's mission to safeguard the world's most fragile mountain habitats from the adverse effects of global warming and excessive tourism.

Production credits:

Script editor and editorial advisor: Dave Vetter

Video and audio editor: Canyon James Coleman-Mcdowall

Original music: Nadir Cassim

Would you like to suggest guests and projects that we should cover? Do you have feedback or questions? Email paolo@iceworm.media

In China, the number of hikers, climbers and nature enthusiasts has boomed in the wake of the Covid pandemic. And it's not just about leisure travel: Following years of fast economic growth and the rapid expansion of megacities, a new generation of Chinese professionals and business leaders are taking action to accelerate the transition to sustainable business models, while also raising awareness about the manmade dangers threatening natural environments and rural communities.

In this episode of On Thin Ice, host Paolo Bosonin speaks with Vivian Han, a former corporate executive who became the first Chinese woman to climb Everest both from Tibet and Nepal, and Lena Yang, head of Women’s Wear Daily China and other publications, who has fostered greener supply chains in the fashion and beauty industries through a number of projects.

The guests share their lessons and experiences in respective initiatives, including Lena’s championing of ESG investing despite a tricky financial environment, and Vivian’s fundraising efforts to provide scholarships for high school girls in less developed areas of China, as tourism brings economic opportunities and environmental challenges to communities around the country.

On Thin Ice is produced by Iceworm Media, in partnership with the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation. Head to ballypeakoutlook.org/ to learn more about the foundation's mission to safeguard the world's most fragile mountain habitats from the adverse effects of global warming and excessive tourism.

Production credits:

Script editor and editorial advisor: Dave Vetter

Video and audio editor: Canyon James Coleman-Mcdowall

Original music: Nadir Cassim

Would you like to suggest guests and projects that we should cover? Do you have feedback or questions? Email paolo@iceworm.media