The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm, and many people were left wondering what, if any, future technologies can be used to prevent future outbreaks and build a better future. Tech novelties have been used to improve our daily lives, but can they also help us protect our health, our well-being, and our environment? Scientists across the world seem to think they can, and one of the most important trends in 2021 is investing in future technologies that can actually make the world a better place. In an effort to build a better post-pandemic future, companies around the world are also dropping technologies with a potential negative impact on the environment.
It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic and its global effects have played an important role in reshaping different industries, and technology is no exception. The new technologies that can be used to make the world a better place range from health-oriented apps to replacing technologies with a potential negative environmental impact.
Why Did Tesla Suspend Vehicle Purchases Using Bitcoin?
The adoption of cryptocurrency seemed to be one of the most promising trends, until a recent announcement by Elon Musk that Tesla dropped Bitcoin payments. While virtual money seemed to be the next big thing, Musk made it abundantly clear that this technology does not come without important disadvantages, especially for the environment. “Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using Bitcoin. We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel,” Musk tweeted. While the business magnate did recognize the important advantages of cryptocurrency, he later added that the energy usage trend over the past few months is “insane”.
In the aftermath of Elon Musk’s announcement, Bitcoin dropped around 12%, and the virtual coin’s price decreased to around $50,900. This was not, however, the first time to link Bitcoin to environmental problems. Over the years, both critics and environmentalists have noted that the amount of energy used in “mining” the virtual coin can seriously impact global efforts to combat climate change.
From Climate Change to Healthcare Changes
Timely diagnosis and effective treatment are the best ways to win a fight against disease, as the COVID-19 pandemic has recently demonstrated. In the last couple of years, diagnostic technology has seen some breakthrough innovations, with machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology greatly improving diagnostics. Maybe even more important is the fact that vaccines and treatments are now produced and distributed faster than ever before, and this can ultimately make the world a better and healthier place.
While the technologies used to produce the COVID-19 vaccines have already proved to be extremely useful in fighting the current pandemic, research shows they may prove to be even more valuable than expected. According to Kathrin Jansen, head of Pfizer’s vaccine research and development, the mRNA technology used to create the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may also be used to develop better seasonal flu shots. While mRNA technology has been known for years, it is Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines for COVID-19 that ultimately cleared the way for the development of mRNA vaccines for humans. With these vaccines already known to be safe and effective, it’s now up to scientists to use and adapt the technology for other diseases around the world.
Giant Companies Tackle Giant Problems
While scientists from everywhere are still fighting the pandemic and looking for vaccines and treatments for future diseases, Tesla is not alone in addressing environmental problems. Google is just one of the giants that stepped up to tackle the problem of climate change. The American multinational technology company has recently updated its Google Earth software to show users the raw effects of climate change on different areas across the globe. The new Timelapse feature provides users with visual evidence of different areas changing over the years, as a consequence of both global warming and human behavior.
Google teamed up with NASA, the United States Geological Survey’s Landsat program, the European Union’s Copernicus program, and Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab to create this new Timelapse and make it visible on Google Earth. According to the company, the new feature will help users see changing coastlines across the world with their own eyes, while also observing the growth of megacities, and the effects of deforestation.
The post-pandemic future will probably be one of the great unknowns and great changes. But, with new technologies now used to make the world a better place, at least some of these changes are bound to have a positive impact. Recognizing the effects of climate change and rejecting the technologies that worsen it, updating vaccines and treatments, and actively raising awareness about both climate change and deforestation may be the best ways to build a better tomorrow.
