IBM, Congestion Pricing Leader?
I’ve been trying to make the case that technology people can actually do something about the dire state of the environment — they can actually have a professional life that is meaningful and important, but it seems much of Silicon Valley is hell-bent on keeping old-fashioned technology, like cars, alive — no matter how detrimental to society.
Maybe it has something to do with the unimaginative ‘build a better widget and make a killing’ thinking that dominates the Valley? I wonder if the only people who manage to do anything creative were not subject to the soul- and imagination-killing rigidity of our traditional education systems - and that is probably more true in the “Must Get Straight-A’s” Silicon Valley than in other parts of the country.
Maybe it’s just vanity and ego that prevents some of society’s most driven high-achievers from wanting to participate in this revolution - i.e. maybe there’s an unwillingness to admit that society has been so wrong for so long for having participated in this car charade? I don’t know what it is, but when stodgy IBM is leading the way in greentech, one has to wonder - just what is Silicon Valley up to? Aren’t we supposed to have some smart technology people around here somewhere? I think more of them would lend their considerable brainpower to ‘the cause’ if they were introduced to the concept. I don’t care if you have to do some wacky computer/bicycle project to get excited about a better future - just do it.
It’s not just congestion pricing that is a massive technological problem — even a ’simple’ bike sharing scheme requires a tremendous amount of technology know-how. Palo Alto says they can’t do a bike-sharing program because it’s too expensive. Well, I guess that’s the end of it then? Robin Chase of Zipcar has been talking about technology being an enabler of planet-saving solutions for years. San Francisco wants to hand its bike-sharing program over to an advertising company - right in the back yard of Silicon Valley - ‘high tech capital of the world.’
I like this line from the head of IBM:
In the face of a meltdown, Palmisano continues, “you can retrench, pull in your horns, protect the balance sheet, and preserve cash. Or you can realize that this is about humanity screaming for change.“
We can try to make buses into slightly less horrible buses, or make cars into slightly less horrible cars - or we can realize that this is about humanity screaming for change.
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