You're Technology Can't Save You, But Then Again, Maybe It Can

I love science. I always have. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved learning about biology, paleontology, geology, physics, space, etc. I majored in ecology in college and environmental issues have always been important to me. I also love learning about new technologies and how they will affect the future; nanotechnology, new materials like nano-tubes and graphene, human-computer interfaces like Neuralink, and of course, AI, which is both exciting and scary. But there are two areas in particular that are exciting to me.

One is space exploration. I love reading about the latest discoveries of the Mars rovers and the search for water and potentially life. I get excited thinking about the possibility of colonies on Mars or the moon. After the incredible discoveries of Pluto by New Horizons I’m impatient for new space missions like to the icy moons of Jupiter or Saturn’s moon Titan, Then there are advances in hardware like Space X’s reusable Falcon rocket to make space travel cheaper and the possibility of interstellar travel like the Breakthrough Starshot project, and of course the next generation of telescopes like the James Webb telescope. The possibilities seem endless.

The other is renewable energy. I’m excited when I read about advances and strong commitments to renewables by countries like China, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Worldwide, there are more and more big profile projects for solar and wind power. There are always new advances making solar and others more efficient. There’s one possible technology to transform regular window panes into solar cells. Imagine an entire skyscraper covered in these windows, generating much, if not all its own power. Then there’s fusion power, the holy grail of renewable energy. There has been immense investment in fusion worldwide in recent years. There’s the ITER reactor in France which is set to come online in 2025 and that promises for the first time to make fusion power economically viable. That’s not to mention all the numerous small-scale, alternative fusion design projects being developed by various startup companies.

The reason I like reading about these technologies is that they give me hope. Hope for a future when we rise to the challenges and spread out to the stars. Hope for a future where we stop poisoning the planet. Where we overcome our differences, reverse climate change, repair the ecosystems and create a sustainable future for our children and our children’s children, for all mankind. Hope for a…utopia? Perhaps.

But in spite of this tentative hope, I’m filled with doubt. Somewhere deep inside my soul is a Taoist sage. He’s sitting up there on top of his mountain, looking down at me, shaking his head, and he says, “Jason, you’re technology can’t save you.” With those few, curt words, he pops my fantasy, shredding to pieces the delicate vision of a utopian world I had constructed. But damn it, I know he’s right somehow. Though, for the longest time I couldn’t put it into words exactly. But it has something to do with getting to the root of the problem.

Technology is wonderful, but often when it is applied to solve a problem, it alleviates the symptoms, but not the underlying cause. Let's take an example from medicine. Millions of people suffer from obesity. Today, patients have any number of treatments available. Aside from medications, there are many surgical procedures; putting a band around your stomach, stomach staples, balloons, or even removing part of your stomach altogether. However, if these treatments are not also done in conjunction with lifestyle changes of diet and exercise, there effectiveness will be severely limited.

Another example would be technologies for carbon sequestering, taking carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere and burying it deep in the ground. This is helpful, but does nothing about the increasing CO2 emissions going into the atmosphere. Much the same could be said for many social programs. Putting more police on the streets may reduce crime, but doesn't address the social problems which spawn crime in the first place. And charities that help feed, cloth, and shelter the poor do nothing about the economic situations that create poverty.

Then I saw a talk that made me start to think differently. It was given by professor John Robinson from The University of British Columbia on sustainable development.  He talked about how the traditional story of sustainability is on damage reduction, reducing a negative. Although helpful, the problem with this is that it's not very motivating. Most people don't want to jump on the bandwagon of self sacrifice, doing without, doing no harm. He said it's better to look for human activities that create a net positive result, that actually leave the world better than it was before. 

He went on to talk about what he called "regenerative sustainability" and the special program at British Columbia. They were integrating sustainability into every level of the university. The flagship of the program was a new building on campas, the Centre for Research on Sustainability(CIRS). At every phase, from design, to construction, to materials, it was made to be as sustainable as possible in every way. Not only did the building produce all its own power and filter its own water, it actually helped reduce the carbon footprint of the campus as a whole. In addition, it was designed to make it easier for people to interact and be happier at work. However, the program went far beyond just one building. They were encouraging more students and faculty to live on campus to reduce commutes and developing an environmentally friendly public transport system. They were also working with every department so that in addition to their regular degree, every student could get a minor in sustainability. The program at the University of British Columbia was meant to be model for what could be done with sustainability at a community level. But it took an effort from every level of the university. Community planning from the ground up needs leadership from the top down. 

Now I 'm beginning to see that our technology can save us if at the same time, we also change our behavior. I don't just mean on a personal level, either. All of us, as a government, as an economy, as a society need to change how we produce, consume, and spend our money and time. Most importantly, we need to think differently about the Earth's biosphere and resources and how we interact with each other. This is the most important, because if we can do that, we won't need the technology to save us. 
View the video here.