Al Gore: Embedded tech can help heal the Earth
Submitted by libervisco on Tue, 04/03/2007 - 21:17.
Former Vice President Al Gore told Embedded Systems Conference keynote attendees in San Jose, Calif. today that energy-efficient IT systems of the future -- many containing embedded processors -- will be a major factor in helping overcome the major climate problems the Earth is now facing.
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I generally agree that embedded systems are the way to go - relying more on thin clients, be they the traditional form or as tbuitenh has suggested, our phones.
One thing which is slightly worrying about this article is:
Gore said that he believes that the increasing amount of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, caused by so-called "greenhouse gases" from automobiles, heavy industry, and electronic equipment is the central reason why the ozone layer in the atmosphere is breaking up.
which is totally wrong, since CO2 is not caused by greenhouse gasses, it is one, and this has nothing to do with the ozone layer which we managed to fix a few years ago by reducing the use of CFCs and other such chemicals.
Since that wasn't a direct quote it's possible the mistake is made by the article writer. I've just watched The Inconvenient Truth and I doubt Gore would make such mistakes. He seems to have quite a solid background on the issue.
And in fact I agree with him. There's little to be contested with any credibility about what he says. If Gore or anyone else doesn't speak up, the nature speaks as loudly as it possibly can (and increasingly so). We ought to be deaf or something not to hear that and believe that we *have* to get more environment friendly and energy efficient technologies.
And I am glad that, finally, the wave of such technologies is on the move and markets seem to be buying it.
I know it was not a direct quote, but it makes one question the ability of the writer to write on such topics...
I have also seen The Inconveniant Truth (thanks to my Geography teacher), and Gore does make a strong case for renewable energy etc. One thing I didn't like about it though was it was a bit 'look at me! I'm Al Gore, and I'm so cool'. Admitedly though I am yet to be totally convinced that we are creating the global warming (which I am very sure is happening), but despite this I do think more energy efficient cleaner tech is the way to go. We will not have oil, gas coal and nuclear power for ever, and burning carbon based things is bad for the air quality if it causes climate change or not. More efficient devices also make it easier to go into space etc. as people need to take less fule with them, which makes surfice to orbit launches lighter, which means they need even less fule... (basically a small effiniency gain in one area can lead to a greater effinecency gain overall).
I noticed that it was a bit bent on self-promotion too. We've been commenting that when I was watching it with my sisters. We kept in mind the fact that elections are soonish. ;)
So yeah, gotta take things with a grain of salt, but clean tech is good, even a "must", one way or another. Same goes for caring for environmentalism in general I'd say.
Thanks
I think embedded systems could just as well be considered part of the problem. If something previously didn't contain a small computer, and having a computer in it adds only to convenience not to power efficiency, then it's an extra use of electricity.
... said the guy whose mobile is always switched off