Emerging Technology and Its Implications Essay

With the increasing attention being accorded to humour change in the mainstream media these days, thither is in any case an increased attention being given to scientific solutions to assist in combating the problem.While such solutions are admir adequate in that they go above and beyond the usual chatters for recycling and the purchase of blue jet products which have been turn up to be of trivial impact upon the extended crustal plate flaws in dusts of production and consumption that characterize industrial modernity not all of them should embraced uncritically. It is only by subjecting every proposal to save the planet to scrutiny that we can de considerationine a truly sustainable future. iodine of the ideas that has been receiving increasing currency in environmentalist discussions are large shell planetary technofixes collectively referred to as geo- engine room or planetary engineering. These include mirrors in space intentional to reflect excess amount of sunlight , artificial trees designed to louse up carbon out of the atmosphere, and managed release of sulfates into the atmosphere, and many, many other larger-than-life plans to manipulate the ecological fabric of our planet.Heres the rub The term geo engineering is a rather incredulityable one, as it implies that it has the same material body of empirical or mathematical certainty as engineering when it doesnt. It smoothens over many of the bumps and curves that characterize our problems and demand creative solutions. In effect, planetary buyback becomes as easy as building a tunnel into a hill or a bridge across a river, when in fact our collective understanding of the systemic impacts is far less than the geo engineering promoters would have us believe. i might as well call it planetary experimentation.While the potential benefits proposed are of an epic magnitude, this magnitude would also apply to the potential consequences. Take for example a proposal to suck carbon dioxide int o the planets oceans by seeding it with iron deposits. Many, including the Scientific head Committee of the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) and the World Conservation sum of money (IUCN) have observed that this has the potential to worsen ocean acidification and lead to ruinous results for marine ecologyThe oceans are complex, dynamic, unpredictable and already vulnerable We consider to build their resilience, not undermine it not quick fixes to this global problem that may cause far more long-term harm than good. (Gjerde)Additionally, the historical track record of large scale intervention in the name of environmental concern has neer been very good to begin with, asserts Alex Steffen of WorldchangingFrom damming rivers to fighting forest fires to eliminating pests efforts have in hindsight been so overrun with unintended consequences as to become full-blown disasters, a lot worse than the original problems . And the cost of errors increase with the magnitud e of the attempted solution. (Steffen)Geo engineering is essentially a silver bullet solution, one which reduces the political will to creatively retrofit our present lifestyles in such a personal manner as to be sustainable and environmentally sound, while still being able to enjoy the luxuries of post-industrial advancements. In essence, the tools for a light-greener world are already here and their downsides are negligible in the face of overwhelming benefits both environmental and societal.In any case, discussion over geo engineering merely provides a distraction from mustering the political will necessary to effect true change. It provides climate change skeptics a justification for political indifference to redressing our present counsel of life Why opt for better designed cities, fuel expeditious vehicles and profound infrastructural rethinking when we can merely erase the effects of our problematic systems?Ones stance on geo engineering is not a question of whether you are a techno utopian or a complete Luddite. However, in that respect is a major distinction to be made between engineering science that is transparent in agenda, collaborative in nature, and egalitarian in applications programme as well as easy to remedy and technology that is centralized, high-ticket(prenominal) and difficult to reverse. Between Star Wars a missile defense system saddled with so much corruption that does nothing to provide for mother country security and nuclear power a promise of perpetual come of energy whose failures wreaked massive consequences we ought to regard geo engineering with suspicion dangerous until proven safe.Geo engineering is unnecessary. Fixing the planet in such a manner is turning a blind eye to the way we live it shows a lack of innovation and political courage that is necessary to the bright green future.Works CitedStiles, Lori. Space Sunshade Might Be Feasible In Global Warming Emergency. NASA Earth Observatory. 3 November 2006. Ret rieved July 8, 2008 from http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2006/2006110323537.htmlBentley, Molly. Guns and sunshades to rescue climate. BBC News. 2 knock against 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4762720.stmGjerde, Kristina. Hold back the geo-engineering tide. BBC News. 11 December 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7133619.stmRomm, Joseph. Rule deuce-ace of offsets No geo-engineering. Grist Magazine Online. 27 July 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http//gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/7/27/144848/844