In many ways the advancement of technology is partly responsible for the climate crisis. On the surface, it’s easy to see the correlation between increased consumer demand for electronics and the global impact those demands have. Everything from our desire to have the latest and greatest to just how disposable technology has become these days, drive up the amounts of things like electronic waste, production and shipping related emissions, precious metal mining expansion, greater energy demand to power our electronics… and the list goes on.
But beneath the surface, when we start thinking about how technology has enabled our mistreatment of the planet, we begin to see the whole picture emerging. The same technological advancements that can cure life-threatening ailments also contribute to a growing population which in turn leads to greater emissions, energy use, and food shortages, among other issues.
Now we are not trying to say that hospitals are causing the climate crisis, we are simply saying that if you look at how ingrained technology has become in every facet of our modern lives, you begin to notice how inextricably linked it also is to our warming planet. But, that’s not nearly the whole scenario…
If you think about technology's role in the overall issue of the climate crisis, we suggest thinking about it like an iceberg. Fitting, right? You know the old adage that only about 10% of an iceberg is above sea level while the bulk is hidden underwater? Well, if technology is the iceberg then the part above the water is how much it contributes to the issue at hand while the other 90% that’s hidden below the surface are the possible solutions it offers.
We are just beginning to understand technology's role as a problem solver (rather than a problem creator) in our fight to save the planet. It seems that technology just might hold the answer, to some extent, on every front of the problem, from transportation to energy to natural disasters to food shortages to mobilizing action and more. At just about every turn we can find technology at the core of climate change solutions.
As an environmental organization that primarily works to spread climate awareness and action through film, Water Docs has been part of this relationship between technology, art and the environment for its whole existence. Like you and the rest of the world, we are starting to understand the power that technology has in this fight and what it can help us to accomplish.
We know not all the answers lay in technology and we certainly are not claiming that it is in any way a silver bullet that will save us all from this folly. A great deal also lies in restoration, regeneration, personal and social responsibility and change, and just simply by cutting back our consumerism. But we would be foolish not to recognize the opportunity before us to explore technology as a tool for climate justice. We are spending a great deal of time examining this at Water Docs and we know it will play a very large, if not central, role in the future of our organization. Join us as we travel this journey of discovery toward the solutions and hope for humanity’s future.
