Page 19 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

A Shared Perspective on Challenges People continue to reshape the natural world and introduce new technologies made to improve our lives. We extract materials and burn them for energy, often to the detriment of our planet. While we have dramatically propelled our standard of living, fueled global economies, and increased human life span, we now see some practices as too intensive and inherently unsustainable. With species dying around us, and factors such as sea level rise forcing us to adapt, we must retool to take on the climate crisis. Geography, the science of our world, is experiencing a renaissance because of the nature of these problems we are facing. Maps have always been the way we understand the broader context of a plan, a place, or a situation. Today, entirely new kinds of maps and data visualizations are possible given the integration of sensors and the data we all generate with our devices. Around the world, organizations are applying apps, drones, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to populate a real-time view of assets and people on a shared map. Modern GIS software brings clarity to the complex climate challenges we confront by helping make sense of massive volumes and varieties of data. Datasets can be enriched, analyzed, and overlayed in ways that reveal patterns, trends, and relationships that would otherwise remain hidden. GIS shows us an accurate picture of current conditions and empowers us to model and simulate intervention strategies. We can iterate with GIS to see what decisions to make and when and where to make them. We have seen this in action as leaders choreographed their pandemic response guided by spatial analysis and real-time awareness from GIS. Achieving a New Resilience The global commitment to dramatically cut back on carbon emissions will require new approaches and much more efficient use of water, food, energy, shelter, and mobility. For humanity, this is uncharted territory. I've had the privilege of working alongside such global conservation leaders as E.O. Wilson, Jane Goodall, and Peter Raven. These great minds have all used GIS in their work because it helps clarify their questions and guide sustainable decisions. For years, GIS has helped organizations of all sizes tackle complex problems. Now, we have the opportunity of helping them see their work in a new light, applying the ethics of conservation for careful resource use, allocation, and protection. From city planning to asset management, our users have relied on GIS to keep their organizations strong and resilient through many crises. As the president of the United States and other world leaders call for a clear plan and real results around the climate crisis, Esri will continue partnering with its users to help fulfill their sustainability goals. Together, we will promote a resiliency that transcends the needs of any single organization or moment in time. And I have no doubt that the collaborative nature of GIS work will foster new, important connections among and within organizations. Recognizing the value of GIS at a global scale, the United Nations has organized a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with GIS as a foundation. Each participating country is collecting relevant data dealing with society, the environment, and the economy to tackle SDGs related to such challenges as water quality, forest loss, and affordable clean energy. GIS fosters a ground truth, a common operating picture for everyone involved in solving a problem. In the context of climate change, we can use GIS to confront the consequences of centuries of shared actions. Now is a time for organizations and leaders to be bold, to face the environmental harm of our globalized economies. It's a genuinely promising time for government and business, not only in terms of technology but also in terms of attitude. 18 to Climate Action A Geographic Approach