While we recognize the seriousness of environmental issues such as global warming, we fail to realize the urgency of the situation. What is needed now is not just awareness, but fundamental measures and the development and implementation of innovative green energy technologies with strong policy support from the government.
We have recently come across issues such as the greenhouse effect, extreme weather, and global warming in various media outlets, and these terms are no longer unfamiliar to us. However, we still do not seem to have a deep understanding of the severity of the “global warming problem” and its solutions.
When we hear that many islands in the South Pacific are disappearing due to rising sea levels, and that many people are being affected by extreme weather events such as heavy rains and heat waves, we feel sad, but we are relieved that Korea is not one of those affected areas, and we don’t give it any further thought.
It’s not much different when it comes to green (eco-friendly) energy technologies: we believe that green energy will be our future, but we think of that future as the time when humans set foot on Mars, which is far off for now, and we don’t invest in research because it’s not something we can directly profit from right now.
As such, we are aware of the problem of global warming, but we don’t realize how urgent it is. It’s like knowing that many species of life are becoming extinct every day, but not realizing that it could be humanity.
So is global warming really that serious a problem?
With the advancement of technology, the world has become globalized, and the boundaries between countries are becoming increasingly irrelevant. As a result, the culture of the superpower, the United States, is becoming more prevalent across the globe, and more and more people are pursuing the American way of life. By “Americanized lifestyle,” we mean living in American-style homes, driving American-style cars, eating American-style fast food, and producing the same level of waste as Americans. This leads to high levels of consumption, energy use, and waste. The authors refer to this situation as “American disease,” and point out that the spread of this disease is accelerating global warming. The planet is flattening (globalization), crowding (population growth), and heating up (global warming).
The author sees the role of the U.S. government in this situation as crucial. (We need to substitute the U.S. government for the Korean government here and apply it to our own situation.) If the government were to make a strong incentive for green policies, so that the market forces that have driven the U.S. so far could be unleashed, he says, there would be tons of young people with millionaire dreams coming up with all sorts of ideas, and even more investors willing to fund them. Just as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs became IT pioneers and revolutionaries in jeans, t-shirts, and McDonald’s burgers, a young man might lead the green revolution. Or maybe an awake CEO will turn a small local company into the number one market capitalization.
Friedman reiterates the importance of the government’s role because he believes that green policy needs to happen like a “revolution.” Here’s how he envisions that revolution happening.
First, the convergence of information technology (IT) and energy technology (ET). While many people around the world are already taking action to save energy and protect the environment, such as “take shorter showers,” “drive more gasoline-savingly,” and “turn off one light in the house,” we need more fundamental and innovative measures, one of which is the Energy Internet. Energy Internet means the convergence of IT and ET, where all energy systems in each home communicate with information systems.
In the age of the Energy Internet, each home will have an energy set-top box, much like a cable television set-top box, to optimize energy consumption. The energy set-top box has a built-in microprocessor that measures the consumption of all electrical appliances in the home and puts them to sleep when not in use. Meanwhile, electricity supply companies can encourage customers to save on their electricity bills by offering different pricing schemes, such as those currently offered by cell phone service providers.
Second, pricing for green energy technologies. Government policies are essential for innovative energy strategies such as renewable energy, including energy internet. Renewable energy, which is still not as viable as fossil fuels, needs continued government support, and regulations on fossil fuels should encourage energy consumers to switch to renewable energy.
In order to defeat the lobbying of big money oil companies, prevent the collapse of the planet, and take the lead in the next green world, we need to come up with policies and regulations for green energy technologies. Businesses also need to keep pace with changes in government policy by developing and deploying technologies for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
I think the time has come to treat the environment with reason, not emotion. It’s not enough to go on a trip and admire the beauty of nature, or to feel grateful to a benevolent nature like a tree that gives everything to a boy. We can’t just cry while watching ‘Tears of a Polar Bear’. We’ve already destroyed too much of the environment, and it’s time to stop looking at nature and the environment as an “externality” of life, and start looking at nature and the environment as an integral part of life itself, because it’s directly related to our lives.
I think the most valuable lesson I learned from this book is that we need to treat the environment rationally, and that as an engineer dealing with science and technology, we need to make sure that those technologies are aimed at something more than just making profits (the Green Revolution).
