
Metaverse Could Lower Global Surface Temperature, Research Shows
The metaverse, according to many technology enthusiasts, has the potential to change practically every aspect of human existence, from work to education to leisure. New Cornell University study suggests it may also have environmental advantages.According to researchers, the metaverse might reduce global surface temperature by up to 0.02 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
“Growing Metaverse Sector Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 10 Gt CO2e in the United States by 2050,” the team’s article, was published on June 14 in Energy and Environmental Science.
They employed AI-based modelling to analyse data from important sectors, including technology, energy, the environment, and business, to forecast the expansion of the metaverse and the effect of its most promising uses, including remote work, virtual travel, distance learning, gaming, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The researchers predicted metaverse expansion through 2050 following three alternative paths – slow, nominal, and fast – and compared it to earlier technologies like television, the internet, and the iPhone to see how quickly that adoption may occur.
They also considered how much energy increased consumption would require. The modelling predicted that within 30 years, more than 90% of the population will have accepted the technology.
“One thing that did surprise us is that this metaverse is going to grow much quicker than what we expected,” said Fengqi You, professor in energy systems engineering and the paper’s senior author. “Look at earlier technologies – TV, for instance. It took decades to be eventually adopted by everyone. Now we are really in an age of technology explosion. Think of our smartphones. They grew very fast.”
Meta and Microsoft, both of which contributed to the study, are now two of the most important industrial drivers of metaverse development. Meta has specialised in individual experiences like as gaming, whereas Microsoft specialises in commercial solutions such as remote conferencing and distant learning.
According to You, limiting business travel would have the most environmental impact.
“Think about the decarbonization of our transportation sector,” he said. “Electric vehicles work, but you can’t drive a car to London or Tokyo. Do I really have to fly to Singapore for a conference tomorrow? That will be an interesting decision-making point for some stakeholders to consider as we move forward with these technologies with human–machine interface in a 3D virtual world.”
According to the paper, by 2050, the metaverse industry could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 gigatonnes, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by 4.0 parts per million, effective radiative forcing by 0.035 watts per square metre, and total domestic energy consumption by 92 EJ, a reduction that exceeds previous years’ annual nationwide energy consumption of all end-use sectors.
These findings might help policymakers understand how the development of the metaverse business can expedite progress towards net-zero emissions objectives and encourage more flexible decarbonization options.
To enhance air quality, metaverse-based remote working, distant learning, and virtual tourism might be pushed. In addition to reducing air pollution emissions, reducing transportation and business energy use may help shift the way energy is allocated, with more energy supply going to the residential sector.
“This mechanism is going to help, but in the end, it is going to help lower the global surface temperature by up to 0.02 degrees,” You said. “There are so many sectors in this economy. You cannot count on the metaverse to do everything. But it could do a little bit if we leverage it in a reasonable way.”
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
Source: cornell