Technology

In contrast to the mainstream media and prevailing conventional wisdom, a closer examination of historical trends shows an undeniable link between increased technology and more environmental degradation. The inherent contradiction between a society collectively clamoring for more, better, and advanced products and a planet that is rapidly approaching or has already passed its biological limits creates an enormous problem for society. Humanity is truly at a crossroads. It can either take drastic steps to cut down on consumption and resource exploitation or place its faith in technological advancement to solve the problems of massive population growth, environmental damage, and climate change. What is far more significant than my views on whether technology will save us are the views of a man who arguably has more influence on the fate of the planet than any on Earth. The de facto Chief Executive Officer of the largest economy the world has ever known had this to say in a recent Rolling Stone interview regarding climate change and technology [emphasis added].

President Barack Obama, 9/17/10

“When I talk to [Energy Secretary] Steven Chu… nobody's a bigger champion for the cause of reducing climate change than he is. When I ask him how we are going to solve this problem internationally, what he'll tell you is that we can get about a third of this done through efficiencies and existing technologies, we can get an additional chunk through some sort of pricing in carbon, but ultimately we're going to need some technological breakthroughs. So the investments we're making in research and development around clean energy are also going to be important if we're going to be able to get all the way there" [1].

President Obama’s commitment to fighting climate change is admirable and his administration’s efforts have arguably gone farther than any in history (which truthfully is not saying a lot). Even so, in the President’s diagnosis of the problem and solutions of climate change, he mentions technologies several times but never advocates for conservation or any measure to reduce consumption. While investments in clean energy are a step in the right direction, this strategy represents a serious gamble and puts the future of the planet in the hands of the human ingenuity that helped us reach this environmentally perilous era. Only time will tell if technology will be a force of minimizing the size of human environmental footprints or if it will bring about widespread devastation. Hopefully, it is the former.

[1] http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395?RS_show_page=4