Power Solution Fluency
Kenya and Kiera
Define: We were asked to come up with and solve a problem regarding technology and power.
Discover:
Problem: How can we improve technology so that it is more environmentally friendly?
Guiding Questions:
- How does technology negatively impact our environment?
Technology negatively affects our environment by causing heat, water, air, or even noise pollution when it is being used or created. Many resources, such as metals, are also being spent in creating technology and the toxic materials that are used in technology can cause cancer. Being addicted to technology could also result in additional health problems. Also, when old and used electronics such as phones and laptops break and are thrown out, they are usually not disposed of properly and the toxic materials in them make them a hazard to the environment.
2. How have people tried to solve these problems in the past?
A common problem with technology is the waste that it produces. When electronics get old or people replace them, people tend to just throw technology away which is a problem because it cannot be recycled, and it does not dissolve or compost easily. A solution to this is to sell old devices. This can benefit you because you may be able to profit from selling this item. This benefits others because some people may be in need of a new device and if a shiny new phone is not that important, you can just sell yours to them and that will reduce the amount of new technology needing to be made and the amount of technological waste. Another solution to this is that you can try to maintain it and use it for other purposes. If you can maintain your electronics for as long as possible then it can reduce current waste. If you must get rid of it, research how to dispose of it properly. There are many ways to recycle your electronics. This can allow the expensive parts inside of it to be reused and that saves time and money and now people won’t have a need to make more because they can simply reuse it. Another problem that these solve is that it costs lots of money to make these electronics and it takes lots of precious metals and some toxic materials.
3. How do problems in the past compare to current issues with technology?
Now there are less jobs available because certain roles have been replaced by machines and AIs. Another problem that has escalated a lot during the past few years is technology addiction. This has caused issues with learning abilities, reducing attention span, and has become a very common distraction. There is also the problem with cyberbullying and social media. In the past, bullying was not as common because once you were at home, people couldn’t really contact you and bully you. Now, people can message you and contact you at any time and it has led to multiple problems such as mental health issues and in extreme cases, death.
Dream:
-A current solution is scheduled screen time. Some parents use this with their children so they can control how much time a child spends on their device and can still have time to be social and get exercise.
-If possible, it would be more environmentally friendly to walk or take public transit rather than driving because driving costs a lot of money and car gasses cause air pollution. Walking more often can also lead to a more active lifestyle and counts as a source of exercise.
-Instead of throwing away your device, donate it or sell it online so that it can be reused. If it must be disposed, do so properly by bringing it to a recycling center nearby.
-Leave your phone in a big or in a locker at school/work to reduce distractions and encourage real social interactions with other people. This also can help because your device radiates toxic energy and having it away sometimes can be healthy for you and reduce the risk of cancer, etc.
Deliver: Our biggest solution to make our use of technology more environmentally friendly is to reduce, reuse and recycle. First off, if we reduce our use of technology then us as humans can be healthier and more social. If we reuse technology rather than just throwing it away, it can reduce the amount of factory use to make more technology. Reusing technology and reusing the expensive parts inside of it can be great for saving money. Consumers will be spending less money on technology and factories will be spending less money on making new devices and parts. ‘
Debrief: First off, to solve our problem, we had to come up with a question involving electricity. Then, after coming up with our question, we asked ourselves some questions such as how technology affected our environment negatively, how have people tried to solve these problems in the past, and how do these problems in the past compare to current issues? After researching questions, we began brainstorming solutions for the problem and presented our final solution. Some things we did well is that we came up with sub questions to guide our research and we were able to brainstorm solutions without assistance. However, some things we could improve on is we could’ve probably gotten a lot more research in if we had more class time and we could have been able to look at more aspects of technology. We just wish we had another block of class time.
Bibliography:
Author, Guest. “How to Reduce Electronic Waste and Its Hazards to the Environment.” Get Green Now, 20 Apr. 2019, <https://get-green-now.com/reduce-ewaste-hazards/>
“Free Bibliography & Citation Maker – MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard.” BibMe, <http://www.bibme.org/>
“Green Computing – Environmental Issues – The Carnegie Cyber Academy.” Green Computing – Environmental Issues – The Carnegie Cyber Academy – An Online Safety Site and Games for Kids, <http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/facultyPages/environment/issues.html>
The Dangers of Technological Development, <https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/technology-dangers/issues.html>