Science for a Sustainable Planet
According to the population clock, the number of people in the world is about 7.7 billion and growing. By 2050 it’s projected to be 9.8 billion, compared to 2.5 billion back in 1950. We are in a continual contest with world demographics to ensure food, water, shelter and natural resources—the essential ingredients to live and thrive—for us all. Demographics drive sustainability, and science is the weapon to make it happen.
From Non-renewable to Renewable
A key to sustainability is migrating from non-renewable to renewable assets. Some things are in fact non-renewable with a finite quantity available. When that’s the case, as with all natural resources, the mandate is to find, extract and use them safely and responsibly.
Energy has already made a shift to renewables, with science supporting it. New technologies help to identify resources predictability—gathering data, utilizing artificial intelligence and analysis to reliably infer what is below the surface with pinpoint accuracy. It’s a precision process of imagining what is fundamentally invisible.
Reducing Waste in Taking and Making
Once a resource is found, it must be extracted as responsibly and safely as possible, including the use of autonomous systems. Responsible enterprises look to only take what’s needed. Less waste in extraction is supported by less waste in manufacturing through new additive manufacturing techniques. 3D-printing uses the minimal amount of material needed, versus destructive techniques that removed unwanted material creating waste.
Today there is a frugality in making, generating a smaller environmental footprint. We find ourselves taking less from nature and able to give back more; and sustainability is good business, too. According to global studies by Accenture, companies that take environmental responsibility have outperformed in their markets by 16% over a three-year period.
Raoul Jacquand, CEO of Dassault Systèmes’ GEOVIA brand, shared his passion for sustainability and the responsible use of natural resources for our upcoming Science in the Age of Experience event.
Learn More at Science in the Age of Experience
Want to learn more? We will be discussing all this and more at Science in the Age of Experience, October 14 -15 in Boston, Massachusetts. Check the event website, and stay tuned on social media for complete coverage.
