Just a random topic, kinda want to hear what others think about this. Just looking to spark some discussion about things we use daily.
Do we rely too much on our electronics? (cell phones, computers, cars, tvs, etc.)
Do you think we can produce enough energy to support our needs for our daily lives as time goes on?
Do we rely too much on our electronics? (cell phones, computers, cars, tvs, etc.)
Do you think we can produce enough energy to support our needs for our daily lives as time goes on?
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コメント(9)
I'm a technology junkie. 
I never leave home without my Nokia, iPod, PDA and Powerbook... so you might say I'm kinda dependent. Forgetting and/or leaving any one of those items at home is a complete nightmare.
In my case everything I carry with me on daily basis is necessary, except for the iPod. I'll keep telling myself that too :)
I don't know how we can gauge when something is relied on too much... unless like you say we find ourselves short of energy for the things we use a lot.
I think in terms of electronics consuming energy... battery technology is constantly evolving to be more efficient, and the power consumption required to recharge them is quite low.
I never leave home without my Nokia, iPod, PDA and Powerbook... so you might say I'm kinda dependent. Forgetting and/or leaving any one of those items at home is a complete nightmare.
In my case everything I carry with me on daily basis is necessary, except for the iPod. I'll keep telling myself that too :)
I don't know how we can gauge when something is relied on too much... unless like you say we find ourselves short of energy for the things we use a lot.
I think in terms of electronics consuming energy... battery technology is constantly evolving to be more efficient, and the power consumption required to recharge them is quite low.
Agreed, I do believe it does have to deal with where we do live as well. I'm from Seattle, I gotta have my computer, ipod and cell phone with me at all times.
As for battery technology, i've been researching it for the past 5 years as part of the hybrid vehicle research team of Western Washington University. Battery technology has gone through leaps and bounds, for example, lead acid to li-Ion.
As for battery technology, i've been researching it for the past 5 years as part of the hybrid vehicle research team of Western Washington University. Battery technology has gone through leaps and bounds, for example, lead acid to li-Ion.
We're seeing improvements in energy production efficiency and cost on one side, and electronics that run cooler and with lower power vs. performance on the other side - I think we'll be ok.
Producing this stuff is a big killer though. And I think that companies should look at improving efficiency because right now its pretty shocking - my own company has close to 6000 workstations running 24/7, maybe a quarter are unused or barely used and all of them are unused at the very least 8hrs a day.
Producing this stuff is a big killer though. And I think that companies should look at improving efficiency because right now its pretty shocking - my own company has close to 6000 workstations running 24/7, maybe a quarter are unused or barely used and all of them are unused at the very least 8hrs a day.
I'm pretty tech-dependent, too. I always carry my iPod, Nokia (N800), Nintendo DS and cellphone, although I might abandon my iPod altogether since my new Nokia N800 can be used to listen to music and watch videos. :)
I realize that it's a problem if I can't leave home without those gadgets. Fortunately, I'm not quite there yet. Having said that, I'd venture to say that people like me are "part of the problem" when it comes to excessive energy consumption.
What can I do, then? I dunno... :*(
I realize that it's a problem if I can't leave home without those gadgets. Fortunately, I'm not quite there yet. Having said that, I'd venture to say that people like me are "part of the problem" when it comes to excessive energy consumption.
What can I do, then? I dunno... :*(
They had a story on the radio a few months ago that
all new TVs sold in the UK would have to be turned
on at the actual box i.e. you couldn't turn them on
with the remote control, so all the energy that goes
into having the TV in stand-by mode would be saved.
In Australia soon you will only be able to buy
energy saving light globes which will save about
75% of the energy used in lighting a house.
I think these things are good, but at some point
we will have to start doing without some of the
things we take for granted. One of the most popular
cars you can buy is an SUV and 99% of them never
see the terrain they were designed for. I don't
mind them when people who really need them have
them but it really bugs me when I see mothers
picking up their kids from school in a V8 Range
Rover.
I love gadgets, but I'm not into the latest and
greatest. I tend to use things till they die and
when I replace them I buy the best available.
My cell phone is a Sony Ericsson which was really
cool 3 years ago. My computer is a Toshiba lap
top, again cool when I bought it 7 years ago.
all new TVs sold in the UK would have to be turned
on at the actual box i.e. you couldn't turn them on
with the remote control, so all the energy that goes
into having the TV in stand-by mode would be saved.
In Australia soon you will only be able to buy
energy saving light globes which will save about
75% of the energy used in lighting a house.
I think these things are good, but at some point
we will have to start doing without some of the
things we take for granted. One of the most popular
cars you can buy is an SUV and 99% of them never
see the terrain they were designed for. I don't
mind them when people who really need them have
them but it really bugs me when I see mothers
picking up their kids from school in a V8 Range
Rover.
I love gadgets, but I'm not into the latest and
greatest. I tend to use things till they die and
when I replace them I buy the best available.
My cell phone is a Sony Ericsson which was really
cool 3 years ago. My computer is a Toshiba lap
top, again cool when I bought it 7 years ago.
But when you consider power efficiency you also
need to consider the energy used in manufacture.
I think that it is OK upgrading things if you
pass on the item you are upgrading so it is in
a sense getting a second (and third) life. Then
when it finally dies it needs to be broken apart
and properly recycled.
Another radio story I heard was that the U.S.
government were planning on mandating that car
companies build cars that are designed to last
longer. Currently, the wheels start falling
off after 5 or 6 years. If cars are designed
to last 20 years, it's a net gain for the
environment.
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