CNN's 'Tech for Good' meets the individuals harnessing technology to protect the environment

HONG KONG,Aug. 5,2021 -- In this month's episode of CNN's 'Tech for Good',anchor and correspondentKristie Lu Stoutmeets the minds behind the technology that could transform our farms and preserve our forests to enable a greener,more sustainable future.

CNN’s ‘Tech for Good’ meets the individuals harnessing technology to protect the environment

In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains,a high-tech greenhouse by AppHarvest offers a potential solution for a future of sustainable farming. Company founder & CEO Jonathan Webb shows CNN around this controlled environment,where robots monitor and harvest crops at their optimal ripeness and LED lights supplement the sun's rays. With the assistance of tech and the promise of precision agriculture,Webb is hopeful that farming can be transformed for the better.

Feeding the planet requires a multi-pronged approach. Rory Aronson is the creator of FarmBot,which seeks to automate the labor-intensive steps of gardening,allowing users to take ownership of the food production process. CNN also hears from German company Agrilution about their 'Plantcube',a home appliance that houses a personal,climate-controlled vertical farm,as well as from Berlin-based startup Infarm which operates urban farms to help tackle food insecurity.

Next,Lu Stout speaks with Professor Thomas Crowther,who heads up a lab in Zurich that is addressing biodiversity loss by using satellite imagery,machine learning and artificial intelligence to map ecosystems. Last year,Crowther founded Restor,an online platform to connect conservationists with local restoration efforts and empower them with data.

Finally,in a bid to restore forests and fight climate change,Canadian start-up Flash Forest is on a mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2028 using drones and aerial mapping. Their work is centered on the boreal forest of North America – the largest biome on earth. Company CEO Bryce Jones explains how their drones can plant trees ten times faster than humans,with the added benefit of being able to reach difficult terrain.

Tech for Good trailer: https://bit.ly/3xhRgZG

Tech for Good images: https://bit.ly/3j1sWGo

Tech for Good microsite: https://cnn.it/2ECCs23

Airtimes for 30-minute special:

Saturday,7th August at 1:30pm and 6:00pm HKT

Sunday,8th August at 12:30am and 1:00pm HKT

Monday,9th August at 1:00am and 11:00am HKT

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