The Environmental and Sustainability Big Data Era is Here

Move over ‘social media’ and ‘apps’, there’s a new buzzword in town. And it’s beginning to roll off the tips of the tongues of techies just like ‘green’ does for environmental professionals. They call it ‘big data’.

Big data refers to the massive amount of data compiled over time that becomes difficult to manage and analyze due to its size. When you think about all the environmental and sustainability information that’s being collected nowadays- analytical data, emissions data, geology, water quality, toxic waste data, hazardous materials, health and safety data, exposure data, as well as videos, photos, activity logs, and social media posts – when does it become too much? Because of the enormous quantity of environmental data, we begin the difficult task of looking for useful information, like searching for a needle in a haystack, and we often end up never finding it. We are witnessing a huge data explosion happening in our industry and few companies are ready to deal with the data avalanches heading their way.

Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir, the California start-up working to transform how information is analyzed, has an insightful take on this topic. “Most of ‘big data’ is a fraud, because it is really ‘dumb data,’” he says. “For the most part, we would need something like artificial intelligence to turn the ‘dumb data’ into ‘smart data,’ and the reality is that we are still pretty far from developing that sort of artificial intelligence.”

The unavoidable truth is that all this information can become a problem, and can easily overwhelm those dealing with it- to the point where the information’s value is completely overlooked. However, while technology is far from handling this perfectly, it can still arise to the challenge of placing big data on a sensible diet. By sensible, I mean breaking down the fat into healthier, more digestible chunks. This functionality helps to cure headaches and quells the instinct to immediately sweep big data under the rug. So, how can this much-needed level of sensibility be reached in the environmental and sustainability industry?

Enter: the Cloud. Web-based, user-friendly platforms have the capability to store large amounts of data while also dissecting and organizing it into more manageable and comprehensible bits of information. Locus Cloud was developed specifically as a big data management platform for the environmental and sustainability industry. It gives large corporations dealing with big data the ability to pull essential facts and intelligence out of the depths of information overload and turn it into actionable information that not only helps with compliance and reporting, but also stands to significantly lower the company’s operating cost.

It’s time for today’s environmental, health, safety, and sustainability professionals to capitalize on the benefits that big data present. Stop quivering with intimidation, stand up and look your big data square in the eye, and wring it like a wet towel, squeezing out all the value that you possibly can.

President Obama Addresses Climate Change

In President Obama’s recent State of the Union, he chose to address the issue of climate change more than has ever been done before in presidential history. He spoke about how floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires have all been more frequent and extreme than ever, and stated that the 12 hottest years on record have all been within the past 15.

In addition to the dangers that the effects of climate change pose, there is also the threat of a financial problem, with the cost of rebuilding New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy being approximately $60 billion.

Obama certainly met the expectation of environmentalists during his speech by acknowledging these threats, and stated he would take action to control carbon dioxide pollution. He even stated that if Congress would not act soon, he would direct his Cabinet to form actions that can be taken to reduce pollution, transition to sustainable forms of energy, and be better prepared for the results of climate change.

A variety of options can be pursued to accomplish these goals, one of which being the EPA cracking down on carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants, and regulating this as a pollutant. But, one thing is for certain: the recognition of climate change and the need for protection is currently in the public eye more than it has ever been before. It is becoming even more crucial for organizations to properly manage and keep track of their environmental, emissions, and compliance data. This is why Locus will continue to work hard to offer companies the most comprehensive SaaS platforms available today to manage and organize their critical environmental information.