24. The Problem of the Excesses
I am highlighting some of the current trends of excesses in our life style
A simple definition of the word economy means the careful management of available resources. This is important because we have a responsibility to leave the world in a better condition than when we found it. We should also leave a healthy legacy to our future generations and leave necessary resources for them to research about with. We cannot recklessly consume and exhaust the natural resources. We are also responsible for maintaining the peaceful co-existence with other species of plant and animal kingdom and show mutual respect for them.
Are we really practising this above statement? Are we even considering the impact of the deployment of these resources on the other species?
Consider the below overuse of deployment of certain economic activities/resources.
1. Internet
I am against the ‘excess of availabilities’ for a common man – be it the inexhaustible streaming content (one of the OTT platforms has 3 variations for streaming – Good, Better and Best!) or the always accessible-high speed internet. Maybe it is time to bring back the reusable-rentable storage mediums and high-speed internet cafes. Why cannot the internet use be rationed and priced in a differential manner based on the value of use, speed of access and the access time span? Definitely a farmer is not using the internet in the same way as an e-trader uses it. To this effect the deployment of internet resources – new and upgrades, should be curtailed. Also, reuse/recycling and simplicity should be practised more. To me the always available high-speed internet looks like an enormous high-wattage bulb (like an artificial sun!) that is always on! Since many others may have touched upon this subject, I do not want to delve deeper into the ecological and environmental damages because of this unshutdownable internet juggernaut.
Quoting from the reference below,
Ultimately, Raghavan and Ma estimated the Internet uses 84 to 143 gigawatts of electricity every year, which amounts to between 3.6 and 6.2 percent of all electricity worldwide. Taking ‘embodied energy’ or emergy into account, the total comes up to 170 to 307 gigawatts.
Reference:
https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/how-much-energy-does-internet-use.htm
2. Cell phones
It is scary to think about the range of new models hitting the market with brand new features. We do not know what happens to the old devices. The components like the chips, battery, storage and memory and technology like GPS, AI, in-built gaming platforms etc., are devised and improved beyond the needs of a common man.
Why can’t we curb this gold plating and focus on the techniques to sparingly use the critical resources while we care for the other co-habitant species of this planet? Why can’t we focus on new business models that deploy advanced, high-end devices to the ones that truly require it and be mindful of the environment?
Quoting from the reference below:
The manufacturing process of a smartphone accounts for about 85 percent of its carbon footprint, making it the most damaging device to the environment. These emissions mainly come from metal extraction, shipping and production.
Reference:
https://www.fairplanet.org/story/smartphone-pollution-electronic-waste
3. Cell phone towers
Some study links the transmission from cell-towers to destroying those insects and birds that help our agricultural practices. It is not only an eye-sore but in some countries, it is left to the cell phone companies to develop these towers that randomly dot the landscape. We can find multiple cell towers built by the different companies to cover the service areas. Not to mention the new innovation and technologies that constantly push the high capabilities of and the high energy inputs required to run these towers with no regard to the surrounding eco-system.
Quoting from the reference below:
In an observational study, it was found that the output of most fruit-bearing trees reduced drastically from 100% to _5% after 2.5 years of cell tower installation in a farm facing four cell towers in Gurgaon-Delhi Toll Naka.
Reference:
4. GPS
There are many scholarly articles espousing the merits of GPS tech and its impact on human life. But again I am concerned about reckless/too-much use of a power-hungry technology and its implications on the environment.
It is said that as much of 4 satellites are involved to identify a single earth position using GPS! The GPS signals are constantly rained down upon us from above – and I am not sure if this world-wide raining is studied properly for any environmental impacts. Not to mention the clutter of satellites in orbits, the space debris issue and the irrecoverable rare elements that are used in the satellites. There is absolutely no proper global level governance of GPS technology and the management of satellites along with its life cycle (cradle to grave).
Why can’t the GPS tech be used only for the most essential aspects with an oversight on the overuse of this technology? For example, while there are live commentaries of traffic conditions on local network, the car and the smart phone of the car-driver may also have GPS, radio and TV! Is this not an over-kill? We should have innovative solutions to optimize the use of high-end technologies.
5. Undersea cables
Again, we are replicating the need for power and data transmission. We have satellite systems, over-ground fibre optics network and these underwater cables to support our data, power and other needs.
Quoting from the first reference below:
Magnetic fields generated by cables may impair the orientation of fish and marine mammals and affect migratory behaviour. Field studies on fish provided first evidence that operating cables change migration and behaviour of marine animals (KLAUSTRUP 2006, GILL et al. 2009). Marine fish use the earth’s magnetic field and field anomalies for orientation especially when migrating (FRICKE 2000). Elasmobranch fish can detect magnetic fields which are weak compared to the earth’s magnetic field (POLÉO et al. 2001; GILL et al. 2005).
References:
https://www.gc.noaa.gov/documents/2017/12-02e_agreement_cables_guidelines.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364032118305355
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20230201-how-undersea-cables-may-affect-marine-life
6. Airplanes and Airports
We have abundance of options here. Why cannot we have airplanes only for global and long-distance travels and compensate it with high-speed inter-continental train networks (see concerns above) , national railway networks, subways and bus systems. If hyperloop travel systems are viable in future, we should definitely curb the airplanes and direct the team that develop this technology to focus on space endeavours, war planes and global long distance travelling only.
Quoting from the first reference:
Aircraft emissions at high altitudes affect the ozone layer. Nitrogen oxides contribute to ozone depletion, which can increase UV radiation exposure, which is basically like spending a day in the sun at the equator without sunblock. Too much radiation can create cascading effects on ecosystems and human health.
The environmental impact of expanding airports is also severe. It can displace communities, destroy wetlands, and fragment habitats. Biodiversity near airports is often at risk, as noise and development disturb sensitive ecosystems and wildlife.
Reference:
https://esgthereport.com/what-are-the-environmental-impacts-of-flying
https://enviroliteracy.org/how-do-airplanes-affect-the-environment
7. Artificial Intelligence technologies
We are talking about both the environmental and the human impacts. There are AI generated PowerPoint presentations, stories, music, videos, animations, stories, essays etc., which is mind numbing!
I have written about the human cost of AI in my other articles –
https://www.mayoan.com/technology/02.--a-concern-on-ai-outcomes and
https://www.mayoan.com/technology/11.-a-concern-on-ai-outcomes---part-2
Quoting from the first reference:
But when it comes to the environment, there is a negative side to the explosion of AI and its associated infrastructure, according to a growing body of research. The proliferating data centres that house AI servers produce electronic waste. They are large consumers of water, which is becoming scarce in many places. They rely on critical minerals and rare elements, which are often mined unsustainably. And they use massive amounts of electricity, spurring the emission of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Reference:
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107172
8. Cruise Ships
I am listing this because I am concerned that our holiday trips cannot be a death knell for so many other marine species and their eco-systems. We need stricter monitoring and regulations.
Reference:
https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/maritime-sustainability
9. Shipping
Considering the idea on contiguous trade blocks (point 12 in https://www.mayoan.com/economy/12.-some-suggested-financial-reforms- and https://www.mayoan.com/economy/01.-an-alternate-view-on-economics ), we should take a fresh look at how raw materials, WIP and finished goods are transported globally and optimise the traffic flow not only to save the environment but also to be considerate to the marine eco-systems.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_shipping
10. Concept of Maximalist Living
I recently saw a reel on the furniture (deployed with some space constraints) and gadgets of a compact home expressing the preferred lifestyle of an ordinary home. For some reason the video was unpalatable to me. Later upon ruminating on the video I could not agree with the number of resources, gadgets, furniture and conveniences that a single compact home is seen hosting ! And lot of them were automated. We should preach and practice organic living with only the essential needs. We can also develop sustainable living communities, that I refer to as community living centres (CLCs) to optimize on cost and use of resources. These CLCs can also develop deep and profound relationship networks that can socially and psychologically heal the participants of the CLCs too leading to a mentally and physically fit community members.
11. Solar Panels
While solar energy adoption is growing at break-neck speed, we are falling back on the processing of the waste left behind. Do not forget the residue problems left over by the plastics, oil and other rampant consumerism acts.
Quoting from the reference below:
The industry’s current circular capacity is woefully unprepared for the deluge of waste that is likely to come. The financial incentive to invest in recycling has never been very strong in solar. While panels contain small amounts of valuable materials such as silver, they are mostly made of glass, an extremely low-value material.
Reference:
https://hbr.org/2021/06/the-dark-side-of-solar-power
I hope I have captured the major aspects of “the excess problem” facing us today. I hope there may be other SMEs who can think of other missed-out “excess problems”.
Reference:
https://enviroliteracy.org/how-does-technology-affect-the-environment
Hari Om!