As I mentioned last week, in general we are obsessed with technology and we want things to be easy. When there is a problem, we often look to technology to fix it. Environmental problems are no different.
When the ocean stopped providing us with the fish it used to, we created fish farms. Now that the climate isn't providing us the way it used to, I think it is inevitable to look to technology to fix it. However, this is not addressing the root causes of the environmental issue and it is dangerous to think that this alone can save us.
The main thing that got us into this climate change mess is the desire for more. Consumption is the problem. Wanting things to be easy is the problem. Finding new technology to live in a world of climate change is not addressing these issues, therefore it is doubtful that technology alone can solve all the problems. We still need to consume less. Plus, making technology uses materials that probably needs to be extracted from the Earth. It'll also produce waste to make them. Even more importantly, we cannot know for sure how a new technology will affect the environment and sadly, we cannot afford to experiment.
There needs to be a change in the way we think. Production is our number one priority, but should it be? Do we really need to come up with absurd environment saving technologies (like putting sulfur into the atmosphere or making artificial trees) in order to keep our economy growing and keep up on toxic lifestyle? I don't think so. We can afford to produce less. We don't need to drive, fly, or buy so much. Consuming less meat and buying less things means producing less harmful substances.
Of course, creating new technology isn't a bad thing and will be necessary. We should switch to more solar, wind, and water power. But it needs to be coupled with a change in lifestyle. Otherwise we're only addressing the symptoms and not the problem, which will only mean we'll have more work to do in the future.
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