Shouldn’t More Environmentalists Promote Natural Tech, Not Electrosmog and E-Waste Producing Smart Cities?

By B.N. Frank

“Smart Cities” require countless transmitting devices and infrastructure operating 24/7. All of this requires massive amounts of energy to operate. That’s not eco-friendly. Operating digital, electrical, and wireless devices and infrastructure also creates pollution in the form of “Electrosmog”. That’s not eco-friendly either. Wireless transmitting devices require “conflict minerals” in order to operate. Mining for those definitely isn’t eco-friendly. It’s not humane either. When these devices break or become obsolete, they become E-Waste. Unfortunately, most E-Waste can’t be recycled and ends up in landfills (see 1, 2). That’s definitely not eco-friendly either.

This being the case –it’s astonishing that there are environmental groups still promoting “Smart” technology of any kind as beneficial to the environment instead of turning to less toxic options.

Thanks to The Guardian for providing more information on how that can be achieved.

High-tech smart cities promise efficiency by monitoring everything from bins to bridges. But what if we ditched the data and embraced ancient technology instead?

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Julia Watson, a lecturer in urban design at Harvard and Columbia Universities, recently launched her book Lo-Tek: Design by Radical Indigenism, with publisher Taschen. It’s the result of more than 20 years of travelling to research the original smart settlements, through an architect’s lens.

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There are hundreds of nature-based technologies that have never been explored.

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According to a 2018 survey, 66% of Americans don’t want to live in “Smart Cities” because of privacy and cybersecurity concerns. Constant surveillance still doesn’t seem to be desirable to many people (see 1, 2). Go figure.