It’s a historic moment for artificial intelligence (AI). Everyone is starting to see the business value of AI. It is being added to more and more things every year, and it is getting smarter and smarter—accelerating human innovation. Moreover, it also has the capability to save our planet from pollution and global warming.

AI in the future can be applied to thousands of issues affecting the environment. For example, using AI and data, researchers are able to identify patterns and monitor changes of land surfaces, such as decreasing sea area and ice caps, which can be used to determine future risks. AI can also be used to monitor pollution and other contributions to climate change.

AI is improving agriculture by collecting data and images alongside knowledge of crop diseases. Farmers hope to increase crop yields(产量) and reduce water requirements and pesticide usage.

AI can be used to protect oceans from illegal overfishing. Satellite data and data of ship movement are used in a machine learning algorithm (算法) called Global Fishing Watch which can be used to identify boats that are fishing illegally. This is protecting marine life and protecting over fished areas.

In the future, AI methods may create a digital dashboard (仪表板) for the planet, allowing us to monitor, model, foresee and manage environmental systems at a global scale. AI can be involved in everything from monitoring deforestation (毁林), CO2 levels, sea levels, wildlife movement, illegal activity, pollution, to predicting natural disasters better.

This approach needs to start now, because time is too short and resources are becoming too thin on a global scale. To achieve environmental gains AI and data are necessary. To achieve this, a global cooperation among research institutes, companies, industries, governments and charities must start for the best interest of our planet and future quality of life.

The possibilities are endless, Data, AI and humans can work together to create informative networks to protect the planet and bring it back from the edge of global warming.

By the twentieth century, New York City had long since reached its destiny of becoming the most powerful city in America. In less than 300 years it had grown from a tiny Dutch outpost in the wilderness to the business capital of the world. It was a city built on dreams,

But it was made out of bricks and cement that had come from the banks of the Hudson. The river which had fed all those dreams was now fading into the background. New York didn’t seem to need the river anymore, except as a sewer. And that’s what it became.

Industry on the river had made some New Yorkers filthy rich. But it had just made the river filthy. Garbage, factory waste, plant chemicals and the raw sewage of the cities and towns along its banks were dumped directly into the river. The water turned greenish brown, except by the GM plant, where it turned red or yellow or whatever color they were painting the cars that day.

The fishing industry collapsed. The few fish that survived were too poisonous to eat. Smog from the factory smoke and dust from the cement plants blanketed the valley. And it was all legal.

Most people don’t start out which dreams of polluting a river. But it was often the result of people chasing their dreams of wealth with little care of how they reached it. The Hudson Valley had always drawn them.

But now there were other dreamers in the valley, with their own dreams of wealth. They dreamed of the wealth of wildlife in a healthy forest, the abundance of fish in oxygen—rich water, and the great fortune of living in a beautiful river valley.

So perhaps it was a matter of time before the two types of dreamers would meet each other—in court. In 1963, Con Edison, New York City’s power company, proposed a plan for constructing the largest hydroelectric pumping station ever built. The plan called for carving out a gigantic hole in the side of majestic Storm King Mountain on the Hudson River.

But then they met Franny Reese, a longtime valley resident with a simple point to make: the mountain could not speak for itself. If she didn’t speak for it, who would?

Franny and a group of like—minded people founded Scenic Hudson and took on the power company in a landmark court case. Con Ed challenged the right of private citizens to participate, but the court sided with the citizens, in the ruling now known as the Scenic Hudson Decision.

After dragging out the case for seven years, Con Ed finally gave up and Storm King survived unblemished. It was the beginning of the environmental movement in this country, and and again, the Hudson Valley was the birthplace.

Do you know how much India struggles to gather the waste plastic water bottles? According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report from 2012, India produces 15,000 tonnes of plastics a day, of which the gathered ones only achieve 60% . The trashed-but-not-gathered plastic waste leads to land and water pollution, bringing serious threat to the environment.

After seeing such large-scale plastic pollution, Ankur Chawla, a drink expert, undertook research to find a solution. When he realized the biggest problem the country faced was handling plastic waste, he wanted to come up with a solution where they do not add to the problem of waste. Fortunately, Ankur was not alone. He met Bhrigu Seth, who was into green farming. Both of them found that they shared a common goal and it didn’t take long for them to make a plan of action. It is estimated that over 90 percent of aluminium (铝) drink cans in India are recycled and 70 percent of the cans are made through recycled waste. After going through challenges at hand, the pair made up their minds.

Before taking the next step, both co-founders visited five-star hotels and took samples of water in aluminium cans, asking them whether they would give it a shot if something like that comes in the market. The pair received a widely positive response. They then determined to launch Responsible Whatr, a natural spring water drink packed in an aluminium can to solve the problem of plastic bottles waste.

As one of India’s first natural spring water drinks, Responsible Whatr offered an environmentally-friendly and endlessly recyclable aluminium can. It’s a non-alcoholic drink that was launched with an expectation for an eco-friendly future and an aim to reduce single-use plastic pollution.

Going forward, Ankur and Bhrigu aim to cooperate with airports and ecommerce gates which would help them in directly reaching the homes of high income individuals. They also plan to tie up with corporate firms and cinema halls and join hands with NGOs that are fighting for the conservation of beaches and oceans.