I do not think that the environmental crisis can be solved through technology alone. The problem is more deep-rooted than simply stopping our emission of greenhouse gasses; while we do need to do that, we also need to examine our attitudes and practices. The environment is in decay because we view ourselves as more important than the natural balance. We cannot use technology as our crutch to solve the problem we created with a flaw in how we view the world.
There are many examples of “green” technology: hybrid cars, solar panels, and wind turbines, for instance. However, a Prius still emits greenhouse gasses and is built with rare and dangerous materials. While it is environmentally conscious to drive one, it would be more conscious to walk more places, create smaller communities that didn’t require a car, and support public transit.
When we create technologies, we are mostly interested in finding new and exciting things to do, with environmental concerns coming second, if they occur at all. For technology to be a viable environmental solution, this process should be reversed. We should look to nature as our inspiration, and learn to create technologies that imitate natural processes and work within the ecosystem rather than above it. Technology created in this way would help us without causing damage.
While I do not believe that technology is a golden bullet to solve the environmental crisis, I do think that it can be sustainable if we think about it in the right way. Before we can use technology in this way, though, we need to change the way we think. Our issue stems from which preposition we use to describe are selves: are we above the world, or are we in it?
No comments:
Post a Comment