Data Science
The analysis of data to uncover patterns and make predictions. Using statistics, coding and industry knowledge, data scientists inform decisions on topics from finance to climate change.
What would you do?
- Collect data from databases, APIs and sensors
- Analyze information with code to find trends
- Program machine learning models to make predictions
- Calculate statistical significance with math
- Write reports on decisions based on data
To fight climate change, data scientists…
Target emissions
Find the world’s biggest pollution sources and help companies cut emissions where it counts.
Design better policy
Simulate climate policy before it passes and track government climate goals.
Improve solutions
Plan EV charging networks, site solar and wind, and spot crop stress from satellites.
Protect from disasters
Predict extreme weather and simulate disasters for emergency planning.
Relationship to climate change
Data science is the key to tackling climate change efficiently, across industries, solutions and policy.
Use data science for these Project Drawdown solutions:
- Agrivoltaics
- Agroforestry
- Annual Cropping
- Appliance & Equipment Efficiency
- Aviation Efficiency
- Building Systems
- Carpooling
- Coastal Wetlands
- Crop Residue Burning
- Diets
- Distributed Solar PV
- District Cooling
- More solutions →
Expert insight
Daniel Cusworth
Director of Science at Carbon Mapper, a nonprofit that makes carbon dioxide and methane data accessible. He analyzes satellite data to find greenhouse gas hotspots. Outside of tracking emissions, he loves baseball and movies.
Read his insights on Data Science →
Get started
A great fit if you like finding meaning in data, understanding how the world works, and problem solving.
Recommended classes
High school: Geometry, Precalc/Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, AP Micro and Macroeconomics (helpful)
Project ideas
- Graph global temperature data for your area
- Model wildfire risk
- Estimate your community’s transportation emissions
- Survey your community about climate change
- Give data-based feedback on local climate policy
More resources
- Data Scientists (BLS)
- How data science can help fight climate change
- Scientists just found a way to break through climate apathy
- This is how scientists measure global temperature
Written by Aiden Miao, Palo Alto High School (2027)
