Is the Digital Age going to save our planet?
The ever-changing climate is a great source of worry for everyone, but are innovative digital technologies the solution? What cost do we have to pay for sustainability?
A ‘Smart City’ in its most basic definition refers to a city that is utilising digital technology and an Internet of Things (IoT) to create a city of systems that interact with each other. With the intent of creating a more efficient way for society to live, Smart Cities are a more sustainable way of living and hence force are the solution to fight climate change. Smart City technologies are extremely diverse which include, but are not limited to: Smart Energy, Smart Transportation, Smart Data, Smart Infrastructure, Smart Mobility and Smart IoT devices (Maddox, 2016).
CASE STUDIES
Uber
One example of Smart Transportation is the hugely popular Uber company. This company provide affordable taxis to people through the use of a mobile app. Users will enter their payment details and the location they wish to go to and an Uber (taxi) will arrive at their current locations. One of the things that suggests Uber is in fact helping the environment is because it is both affordable and convenient. It has been argued that a lot more people are taking public transport to work, with the peace of mind knowing that they can get an Uber home if they want to. For example, “someone might take a commuter train to work rather than drive because they know they can get home even if they miss the last train” (Galbraith, 2016). In some cases where individuals work in a big city, it can work out less expensive to get a mixture of Ubers and other public transportation to and from work as opposed to having a car, especially with rising congestion charges.
WaterBee
WaterBee is another Smart Technology that is working towards saving our planet. It is a Smart Irrigation system that analyses data from soil collection and other environmental factors with the intention of optimising, “Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in irrigation” (WaterBee DA, 2011). With this Smart Irrigation System, water wastage could be lowered significantly. This means that there is not only less water waste but energy that is used to clean fresh water will also be saved. It is smart irrigation systems such as these that, “save energy, water, and money and gives us a glimpse of what IoT is capable of in the future” (Ross, 2018). Imagine a smart city in the future that uses the IoT to create a city with minimal wastage. The positive effects on the planet will be phenomenal.
The Problems
There is no doubt that Digital Technologies will positively impact the planet and help to reverse the impact of climate change. However, the rise of these technologies and the IoT come with negatives of its own.
Unemployment
As we head into the future of robotics and new advanced technologies, employment will suffer. This has happened progressively since the invention of computers and as we begin to invent new technologies to make the workload of humans more and more convenient.
A prime example of how smart technology is taking jobs away from humans is the relatively new Amazon Go stores in the United States of America. These Amazon Go stores allow you to walk into the shop, pick up what you want and then leave. The app that you sign into upon entry and advanced sensor technology will calculate your bill and send you a receipt for your items once you’re already on your way home (Amazon). Of course, there are still employs in the store: stocking shelves and preparing food, however there are no members of staff at the checkouts scanning your items for you. This is a prime example of how technology is contributing to unemployment.
However it has been argued that job opportunities in regards to an increase of digital technology will not necessarily mean that unemployment will be high forever, instead new jobs in robotics and the IoT will become available. It is a, “deepening divide that speaks to the ever-growing need for STEM-based education” (Heater, 2017). Perhaps there will one day be unforeseen jobs that we never knew could exist.
Criminal Activity
Another aspect for concern regarding the continuous development of digital technologies is the security and privacy concerns. A lot of smart technology uses sensors and people’s personal data in order to operate, for example, Uber tracks your location so the driver knows when to pick you. The main concern for everything being traced is in the event of a cyber attack. One of the worst cyber attacks in the last few years was in 2017 when the files in a lot of NHS computers were encrypted and the only way to encrypt them was to send ransom money to the hackers (Graham, 2017). This hugely affected the running days of hospitals and GP practices across the country. Results from tests and scans were unavailable which would halt a patients treatment. Imagine what new criminal activity smart cities would bring?
However, sometimes technology and the data it collects can be used as evidence in a court of law. In 2015, a woman was murdered and data collected from her FitBit watch was used to track her location (Morrow, 2018). In scenarios like this it is hard to dislike the idea of your personal data being shared, even after this woman’s death her data was able to get her justice. Of course it is only under certain circumstances that data can be shared under a series of stringent privacy laws set by the European Union. Referred to as the General Data Protection (GDRP), it states that a person’s personal data should not be shared to third parties and should only be used for the purpose that is necessary to the individual.
Despite all the negatives to advanced digital technology, is it all worth it to save our planet? The answer is yes.
Digital Society Reflection
Before starting the course ‘Digital Society’, I saw myself as a person with a general idea of the way technology was evolving however, I did not the full extent. This course has taught me more than just information about the latest smart technology and what the internet of things it. It has taught me a different way of viewing the impact Digital Technology is having on society, whether that be a benefit or a curse.
What I have learnt on the course
My understanding of the history of computers has expanded hugely whilst studying on this course which has surprised me. Born in 1998, my family only got our first computer when I was around 8 years old and so I always just assumed that computers were invented around the same time that I was born. With my grandparents constantly moaning about the danger of them, I never realised just how far back the early inventions of the computer dated. What fascinated me most on this course was the topic on Smart Cities. This was a topic I was completely clueless about and it amazes me just how much technology is advancing. The thought that self-driving vehicles are being designed and made had me feeling both shocked and excited. However, this course has taught me that every Digital Technology has disadvantages to them and so the idea of self-driving cars has me slightly anxious for the future of Digital Society.
Within this topic I have also learnt the full extent to the IoT and just how closely systems can be intertwined for one sole purpose. One of my favourite sports is Formula 1 and after studying about the IoT, I have come to realise that Formula 1 is an IoT. This connection has made me realise just how blind i was to the impact of digital technologies before.
What I will take away on the course
Before this course, I had never really considered the extent to which the planet and climate change could benefit from a technologically advanced world. I knew a lot more about the negative impact of technology on ordinary people: such as, unemployment, it being an invasion of privacy etc. However, this course has opened my eyes to the remarkable and beneficially possibilities that stem from a Digital Society and I think that if it is going to drastically help the fight against climate change then I think that any of the negative outcomes are worth enduring for it.
Another aspect of this course that I will find particularly useful in my future endeavours is the use of the Pecha Kucha format when giving presentations. One of my pet peeves is when you are watching a presentation that is elongated when it doesn’t need to be. The Pecha Kucha format will come in use when I give presentations to keep them interesting and to the point.
Overall Feelings
This course has ultimately taught me to consider the ethics and the lives of individual people in every aspect of study.
