Session 3!

Brief Summary:

Past human activities such as extraction of coal and fossil fuels have proved to be useful for harnessing energy and even fuelled technological development. However, these resources are finite as compared with the infinite wants of human beings – our never-ending use of energy in our daily lives. We have always adopted a linear thinking without thinking about the impact of using such fuels on the environment. However, with innovation and technological improvements, it is possible to come up with more viable and sustainable sources of energy – we have to make the switch to a circular thinking on the issue of environment and energy usage.

Interesting Observations and Ideas:

1. Despite the obvious benefits and necessity for use of renewable energy in place of fossil fuels and the like, why is it that countries or companies still do not exploit the benefits of renewable energy sufficiently?

After referring to the IPP Toolbox mentioned in class, I realized that indeed, the humans are more difficult than technology itself. There are other factors like legislation – required when companies lack will power to change their sources of energy to more green ones. On the other hand, from what I have learnt in Business, Government and Society (BGS) in school, companies have to think ahead: being green can allow them to build a better company image which in the long run brings more profits for the company. Therefore, I believe companies should not be myopic and only think of short-term losses due to switch of energy source. (such as building solar panels and wind turbines)

2. Skunkworks. All along people who engaged in research for technological improvements were mostly either corporations or scientists. I feel so comforted that there are people not researching solely for the sake of profits!

However, the researchers have a high degree of autonomy and are unrestricted by red tapes, making me feel worried at the same time. An infamous Tokyo Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway by a cult Aum Shinrikyo was made possible only because the police failed to stop the many doctors and researchers from researching and producing the poisonous Sarin gas in their own hideouts for the attack. This shows that research is good but potential harm researchers can cause I do hope the skunkworks project is still monitored by some higher authority for public safety!

Key take away points:

1. (From How Stuff Works video) We should see our individual roles in saving the planet. The video mentioned that if we start consuming earth’s resources like US does, we’d need 3 to 5 planets – which we don’t have. I realized that saving the environment should not be left to only big companies and governments. Instead, we individuals are the roots to the solution. For example, after learning about the cycle of how stuff works, we can start to look out for products produced via environmentally friendly ways and support them and choose to recycle more of our waste than throwing them away.

2. The valley opportunities and cloud opportunities point showed that there are market driven innovation (summit opportunity) and technology driven innovation (cloud opportunity). Cloud opportunities will eventually become marketed products too. This drew my attention to the fact that technology though creativity in all fields should be promoted, it is always bound by practical usages of the product. No matter how ingenious the product, if it has no practical use, will be deemed useless as well.

Issues for further discussion:

From a student’s presentation about failing early, fast and cheap being important for businesses and people, I realized that technological innovation is inevitably also a process of trial and error – that through failures do successes form. However, is there a possibility that learning through other people’s mistakes is possible as well? Even a further conjecture – is there a possibility of a scientific conclusion or product derived from someone else’s experimentation failures or successes?

Personal Ratings for Session:

10/10 – I had a complete change of mindset from before the lesson and after the lesson. Even in previous lessons, I used to believe strongly that fossil fuels and the like are lesser evil as compared with technological advancement. However, I realized I am (alike many corporations and countries today) also guilty of being lazy to think of alternatives to these energy sources, which seem not too complex with the presence of solar panels and wind turbines in this day and age. I learnt that we must place equal importance on sustainability and technological, economic or social advancements. I learnt to see this issue from a different perspective and enjoyed the session very much!!! :D