# Contents * contents {:toc} ## Idea ## Here are some of the main projects we're currently working on. If these make you want to help, please let us know at the [[Azimuth Forum]], so we can coordinate our efforts. For details on how to add information to this wiki, see [[Help edit this wiki]]. ## Exploring new technologies ## John Baez is working with Bryan Johnson to evaluate new technologies that might help address global warming. For more details see: * [Exploring new technologies](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/exploring-new-technologies/). * [Climeworks](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2019/02/17/climeworks/). * [The cost of sucking](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2019/02/19/the-cost-of-sucking/). and more articles to come. ## Azimuth Code Project ## {: #AzimuthCodeProject} Right now the [[Azimuth Code Project]] is inactive, but see our [Experiments in El Niño detection and prediction](http://www.azimuthproject.org/azimuth/edit/Experiments+in+El+Ni%C3%B1o+analysis+and+prediction+). We analyzed a novel method used for predicting El Niños, and considered ways to improve it, as well as completely different methods. Earlier we did a lot of work on [[stochastic differential equations]]: * Software for investigating the Hopf bifurcation and its stochastic version: see [week308](http://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2010/12/24/this-weeks-finds-week-308/) of This Week's Finds. * Software for studying predator-prey models (generalized Lotka–Volterra equations) including stochastic versions: see the page on [[quantitative ecology]]. Ultimately it would be nice to have some software to simulate stochastic [[Petri nets]]. * Software for studying stochastic resonance: see the page on [[stochastic resonance]]. We need a lot more on this, leading up to software that takes publicly available data on [[Milankovitch cycles]] and uses it to predict the [[glacial cycles]]. See [[Bayesian prediction of the next glacial inception]] for more information on how we might do this. Some possibilities for the future: * Software for investigating the delay-action oscillator as a model for the [[ENSO]] cycle. * The [[Zero carbon Britain 2030]] report (third report, 2013) uses a [Hourly Energy Model Methodology](http://www.zerocarbonbritain.org/index.php/zcb-latest-report/zcb-methodology/item/116) to assess their energy systems scenarios. It models hourly flows of energy supply and demands. It uses historical data for wind speeds, wave heights, solar radiation, and demand. It simulates flows of electricity, heat, biomass, hydrogen, synthetic gas and synthetic fuel. It seems feasible to extend this in various ways. [Documentation for wind profile program](http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~marc/it/wind/). <small>The second Zero Carbon Britain Report used FESA (Future Energy Scenario Assessment) which appears to be defunct. [FESA](http://www.orioninnovations.co.uk/Fesa/downloads/FESAflyerAug2010.pdf) (link broken) from [Orion Innovations](http://www.orioninnovations.co.uk) <strike>is</strike> was (? The software is not even listed in the portfolio).</small> * An automated species-identification system. See * Time to automate identification, _[Nature](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7312/full/467154a.html)_ **467** (2010), 154–155. The authors say that taxonomists should work with specialists in pattern recognition, machine learning and [[Artificial intelligence|artificial intelligence]] to increase accuracy and reduce drudgery. The data required is likely to be quite disparate: photos people have taken of dragonflies in their garden, sound recordings of bat echo-location calls, micro-photographs of phytoplankton in the ocean, etc. Some topics that, whilst interesting, probably require very extensive work on data collection for model/software development and evaluation: * Modeling advanced strategies for an electrical SmartGrid, * Modeling "smartphone/website based car- or ride-sharing schemes" * Modeling supply routing systems for supermarkets that attempt to reduce ecological footprint (in various aspects) of produce. ## Plan C ## {: #PlanC} We are starting to work through various plans for dealing with global warming and peak oil, describing them in blog entries and gathering critical comments. The ultimate goal is to formulate our own plan: [[Plan C]]. We call it this because the intention is to avoid overoptimism: it will assume that everybody's "Plan B" --- tackling problems after they appear but before serious damage has occurred --- has failed. So far you can see the results here: * [[Plans of action]], Azimuth Project. Our discussion of Pacala and Socolow's plan of action is the most well-developed: * [[Stabilization wedges]], Azimuth Project. You don't need to be an expert on any particular discipline to help. You just need to be able to read plans of action and write crisp precise summaries, as above. We also need help _finding_ the most important plans of action. In addition to plans of action, we also need to summarize various 'reports', which summarize where we stand, rather than propose courses of action. See: * [[Reports]], Azimuth Project. ## Overview pages ## {: #OverviewPages} We are building up a nice collection of pages on climate, energy, and environmental issues. But there is still much that needs to be done here. For example, we need overview pages that include nice general essays on these topics: * [[Plans of action]] * [[Biodiversity]] * [[Carbon]] * [[Climate]] * [[Geoengineering]] * [[Earth sciences]] * [[Energy]] * [[Oceans]] * [[Reports]] The end of each overview page should already have links to our more specialized pages in that category. Keep that stuff there, but try to make sure your essay is studded with links to all these pages! category:meta, things to do [[!redirects Open Projects]] [[!redirects open projects]] [[!redirects open project]]