As expressed in Luke Muehlhauser’s & Anna Salamon’s Intelligence Explosion: Evidence and Import, our techonology is rapidly evolving to become more advanced. In some cases, we approach and exceed human-level intelligence. How do you see our city grow technologically? How are benefits of “greening the MTA” applicable to mitigating and adapting to our changing climate? After Hurricane Sandy, do you think New Yorkers understood the importance of being more environmentally and ecologically conscious?
How Green Technology/Infrastructure Can Combat Climate Changes
This entry was posted in Engage, Respond, Discuss, 3/19 - Transportation Systems; Transhumanism (Week 8). Bookmark the permalink.
I think the “greening of the MTA” is a great example and step towards what New York City as a whole should be doing in order to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. The MTA is a huge part of our city’s transportation and infrastructure and it is definitely in need of some “greening”. The MTA sustainability report outlines a number of initiatives they are planning to take on that will help mitigate their emissions, become more energy-efficient, and increase carbon avoidance, which are all steps in the right direction. In fact, I think that through these initiatives, we may see our city grow technologically and make use of AI in an environmentally conscious context – perhaps using these technologies to somehow help us mitigate and adapt to climate change. I definitely think that Hurricane Sandy was a wake up call for many New Yorkers in regards to the realities of climate change and that now more than ever, we need to take action and I definitely think that all this talk about new technologies and artificial intelligence can be put to great use in this area.
When we think about what makes New York City, New York City, the MTA system is a significant factor. Greening the MTA means they are strongly supporting sustainability, energy efficiency, responses to climate change, etc. This sets a great model and influence on many people and on much of NYC that says climate change is real! The money and taxes you put into the MTA is not only being spent on your transportation but on an effort to go green and become sustainable and efficient. Whether you like it and believe it or not, it’s happening. I think it would encourage people to become more educated on this issue and perhaps support it because it builds more credibility. After hurricane Sandy, I believe people might become more environmentally and ecologically conscious but would focus more on adaptation methods such as building floodgates etc. to face these problems, than on the reasons why such severe weather is happening (pollution, carbon, etc) and how to reverse its effects (going green, becoming sustainable).