Saturday, September 29, 2012

Technology holds a key, but we are the key masters

 Since a young age, I have been a sci-fi fanatic. From Star Trek to the (often strange) depths of cult sci-fi literate  I have eaten it up. As technologies have been infused with our society, as an example, your relationship is no longer deemed legitimate unless it's 'facebook official,' I have gotten more more giddy about the prospects of the development of holograms, virtual worlds, and an onslaught of new technologies that we can only dream of now. 

I see technology as a generally good force, especially for the development of further green initiatives. The advent of a whole new generation of high tech, low output devices to replace our aging systems. Technology moved us from coal to nuclear energy, it will move us into high efficiency renewable energy. It's brought us electric cars, the stepping stones for future transportation revolutions by  reigniting the idea that there is an alternative to fossil fuels. As the years go by, competition will likely fuel new initiatives for a slightly more environmentally conscious generation.

Technology has one fault though, it is still slave to its creators. Until we can create a sentient, eco-minded AI to make new technologies for us (which would be badass, I am in full support of AI systems, even dumb ones) we are the 'gatekeepers' of progress. Outside of a university lab, it is the market which largely controls the direction of technological developments. The market is still in the 70's-80's mindset of maximize consumption and growth at all costs, and technology follows that model. That can only change with a shift toward a symbiotic relationship between the economy and the environment. Once that happens, I feel that we will see a much more healthy relationship. 

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