A major contributor to global warming is logging and deforestation. Although political leaders and legislators have been attempting to rein in deforestation through policy, new technology is proving to be a far more efficient solution. The latest advancement in the climate science sector to fight deforestation: drones.

Logging is the commercial practice of cutting down trees in order to process their wood into timber for construction. Deforestation is the intentional clearing of forests, usually to convert the land to non-forest use. Although logging, especially illegal logging, is a major contributor to deforestation, it’s not the only one. Clearing land for agricultural use and human development also drives deforestation worldwide.

Our forests are essential to combating climate change in two ways. First, trees naturally capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it. We need forests to absorb planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activity. Second, when these trees are cut down en masse, the carbon dioxide is released, which is then trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, exacerbating global warming. 

In other words, while deforestation is a cause of warming, forests — and reforestation — are a cure. But monitoring illegal logging and deforestation activities is often difficult in expansive areas and it can also be dangerous due to criminal activity.

Drones provide an inexpensive alternative to satellites, helicopters, and planes when capturing aerial images to collect data about forests. Drones can produce higher quality images and do so more quickly thanks to their close-range capabilities.

Drones can also provide real-time surveillance of protected forest areas. Through interconnected networks of camera-equipped drones, drones can survey illegal logging activity and report it to the proper authorities.

However, the power of drones in fighting deforestation does not just lie in their camera capabilities. Drones are also being used to reforest depleted areas.

AirSeed, “an innovative environmental restoration company created to increase carbon sequestration through global-scale reforestation,” uses artificial intelligence and drones to plant seed pods “25x faster” than conventional planting methods. These AI drones can plant around 40,000 seed pods per day.

Drones are speeding up reforestation efforts by incredible margins, decreasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by humongous metrics.

Is it time to invest in drone technology to save the planet? If governments and companies can produce and utilize sophisticated drones to reseed deforested areas, the Earth may see a massive reduction in atmospheric carbon. For the U.S government, it may be time to call upon your old friend Lockheed Martin, and let them know that we need their help fighting climate change.