This Tech Could Solve Climate Change—If It Doesn’t Make It Worse
Quantum computing, blockchain, and nuclear fusion could transform climate action—or make things worse.
Quantum computing could accelerate climate solutions by decades. AI might optimize global energy grids. Fusion power could make fossil fuels obsolete. Sounds great, right?
But what if these same technologies also lead to runaway emissions, new energy monopolies, or unforeseen environmental disasters?
Breakthrough technologies like these could solve some of the biggest climate challenges.
Quantum computing might help in simulating new battery materials and optimizing energy grids. Classical computers, even today’s powerful GPUs, cannot simulate our complex realities in enough detail to make key breakthroughs possible in these areas.
Blockchain technology might lead to more transparent carbon markets and enable decentralized energy grids.
Fusion power seems a long way off still. But once it’s here, it has the potential to supply humanity with infinite clean energy with zero emissions.
AI & machine learning is already among us. It is powering smart grids, predictive sustainability models, and extreme weather forecasting. (I myself have worked on a number of these issues using AI and continue to do so at my firm.)
How Emerging Technologies Could Backfire
Tech always has unintended consequences. Oil and gas was an amazing invention for humanity because it supplied energy and materials cheaper and more reliably than coal ever could. Today, however, we’re seeing that it is a major contributor to climate change.
Emerging tech is by no ways risk-free. Much is still unknown, but these are some risks worth having on your radar:
Quantum computing will be able to break most passwords that we use these days. It could break existing security systems in major ways, and we are only beginning to imagine the consequences.
Blockchain networks, even on proof-of-stake and not a proof-of-work, have massive power consumption. Without more advances in energy consumption reduction, it could worsen emissions.
If nuclear fusion is commercialized, fusion monopolies might ensue. Will energy giants try to control it and slow the transition?
Training large AI models these days consumes as much electricity as entire countries need in a year.
Which Technologies Do We Actually Need?
Not all emerging technologies deserve equal attention.
Some breakthroughs are closer than others: Using AI for energy efficiency is happening as we speak. Quantum computing has been twenty years in the future for the past sixty years and counting. There are advances, but widespread industry adoption remains distant.
Instead of waiting for future moonshots, we should be focusing on leveraging the technologies that are already within our reach.
I support every dollar that’s being invested into nuclear fusion. But we need to invest equal amounts into wind and solar while we can—this technology already exists and can power millions more homes right here, right now.
Hyped tech can be a distraction, too. Some companies can use it for greenwashing, too—they’ll highlight how they tracked their carbon emissions with blockchain to distract from the fact that their emissions are much too high.
I do not intend to bash on Microsoft too much, but their increase in electricity and water for AI is being watched critically. AI will enable major climate advances: My own firm uses AI daily to enhance sustainable investment for the better. At the same time, we cannot mindlessly pour finite resources into AI to save the planet—by ruining it further. The same goes for any other technology, current or in the far future.
The Future of Climate Tech
Some of these technologies will be game-changers—but only if we deploy them wisely.
The key question here is not “What’s possible?”
A lot is possible. But how do we do possible stuff responsibly?
On Thursday, I’ll break down how these technologies are being used in practice. Who is leading, and where are the real breakthroughs are happening for sustainability and emerging tech?
Wangari’s Curated Reads
The race to commercial fusion energy is heating up, and only the strongest players will dominate.
breaks down the key factors—capital, timing, and enabling technologies—that will determine which companies emerge as industry leaders. With billions pouring into private fusion startups and major deals being inked with power utilities, the future of clean, limitless energy is closer than ever—but the finish line is still far from sight. The Gorillas of Fusion – The Race to Dominate Fusion Energy is a good thought piece on this.After this, a reminder that fusion is still quite a way away: Fusion energy is an engineer’s cathedral for the modern age.
weaves a poetic meditation on ITER, the colossal machine attempting to cage the power of the sun, and the human drive to sacrifice for something greater. Fusion Dreams reminds us that, whether or not fusion succeeds, the pursuit itself is a testament to humanity’s need for ambition, awe, and a belief in the impossible.Blockchain performance has long been a bottleneck—MegaETH aims to change that.
dives into how their real-time blockchain prioritizes speed and low latency by embracing trade-offs like centralized block production on top of decentralized security. With innovations in execution efficiency and state updates, MegaETH pushes the limits of what's possible on-chain, unlocking a new era of high-performance blockchain applications. Building a Real-Time Blockchain is worth a read for the technically savvy!