Technology and the environmental challenges in this decade

#technology #environment #engineering #discuss

Recently came to an end the World Economic Forum 2020, in Davos, Switzerland. Its theme was about the climatic change around the globe, with several leaders and activists speaking about the need to take energic action to avoid a catastrophic future. As a human and a scientist, I think it should be interesting to share some of my visions about the information given in Davos and our role as producers of technology.

It is important to note that this is my personal point of view. It is my belief that the plurality of perceptions is vital to better understand the reality and form the basis for creative and innovative thinking.

We have only one home at the moment: this planet. The actions that causes environmental changes reverberate through all the globe, slowly but surely. Our economic models don't create a sustainable development and the result is starvation, unemployment, enormous unequality and other sad consequences. Some of the leaders in Davos have sopken about some initiatives to recover environments in their countries, but it is, unfortunately, too little for the power of the challenge we must surpass.

We have knowledge and technology to address the problems of our time. We no longer are separated by geographical barriers and because of Internet we can discuss, plan and develop more solutions than past centuries. Seeing some of the speeches of Davos, I started to realize: It's time to be decisive, active and start to liberate the potential of our technology to create a sustainable society, to better care for our world.

We can go to Mars, create colonies on the Moon, but I think we should first put our humanity ahead of our technology. We still pollute our streets, our rivers, extinguish animals and plants without much thinking about the future consequences. This reflects in the technology we create today. This reflects in the mindset we adopt today.

We can do better. We as developers have the tools to create a sustainable future. I would like and example of projects you are working that are linked with the issues of environment in your countries.

This can be a unusual post, but I think it is worth discuss topics about the direction we want our technology to go. I invite you, reader, to post your thoughts about this topic. Thanks for reading.