Understanding How Climate Change Affects Technology


Trying to understand how climate change affects technology is a great deal like the differences between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. They are very different types of energy. Technology is helping mitigate Climate change, in some very concrete ways. But at the same time extreme weather, and planetary warming affect growth of the sector. 


 We all tend to think technology innovates at light speed. With so many advances announced daily its hard to see climate affecting the forward motion of technology.  


Companies like Amazon, Apple, Intel and Google are expanding at record pace, while companies in the most emergent technologies are suffering from shortages and delays. All this due to extreme weather causing more and more disruptions of manufacturing, supply chains and expansions.


In California wildfires burned millions of acres of land. The fall out affected a great deal of San Fransisco, Bay area businesses. Much of the Bay area is populated by small and medium sized tech businesses. 


Silicon valley is seeing mass exodus from the innovation capital of the world, as the average person flees the enormous wealth gap that exists in the region. They also flee tech companies due mainly to severe weather events. 


In New York, rains from hurricane Ida flooded businesses and ruined many small software businesses setting back the gains made despite the pandemic. All the while innovations remain slowed as renewable energy initiatives are overshadowed by extended weather events. 


The supply chain during the winter is affected by huge storms rolling across the country, week after week. This slows an already delayed computer chip pipeline. 


Contrustion of Intel’s multi-billion dollar chip factory is experiencing extended construction delays over and above the usual winter slow downs. 


In manufacturing the temperature regulated process in chip processing is separated in dedicated rooms that use carefully maintained environmental controls. These rooms are becoming harder to maintain due to greater temperature fluctuations in the outside world. 


These problems will grow over time, but mitigation is still possible. Knowing that awareness of the problem is half the battle. 


The Biden administration is trying to pass the Build Back Better Bill which allocates $500 billion for climate initiatives and billions in manufacturing incentives. This goes a long way to combating climate change and enhancing technology.