LiDAR’s Carbon Footprint
Measuring the carbon stored in trees helps us in the fight against climate change, but it also uses energy and adds to our carbon footprint. LiDAR technology, which gives us precise measurements, needs power for charging devices and processing data. So, how do we balance the need for accurate data with the emissions it creates?
More work and effort give us better data, but they also produce more emissions. We need to balance the benefits and costs wisely. LiDAR scans are very accurate, which is important for keeping track of our forests. This tech has proven useful in many projects around the world, from detailed forest inventories to better conservation efforts.
It's important to keep checking how sustainable these technologies are, and find ways to make them even better. The energy source, like batteries or electricity, affects sustainability too. For example, LiDAR systems on planes or drones use more energy than hand-held ones, and maintaining and making these systems also consumes energy. Using renewable energy, improving data collection methods, and making simulations more efficient can help. Our goal should be to have a positive impact on the environment, making sure that the benefits of accurate carbon measurement outweigh the costs.
Even though LiDAR data processing uses energy, the carbon footprint is very small compared to the carbon stored in forests. For example, in one project where we issued 6000 BLOCs, the total emissions from data processing are about 0.5 tons of CO2, or 0.01% of the total BLOCs issued. As you can see, the footprint is pretty small!
When it comes to the planet, every solution matters. We need to use all the tools we have while being mindful of their environmental impact. Balancing the need for accuracy with the emissions it generates is a challenge we must manage carefully.
Some more places to learn:
https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad024
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128098.
A universal airborne LiDAR approach for tropical forest carbon mapping | Oecologia (springer.com)
