Japanese Cows, A Lebanese Web Designer and You

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, 19th century

Accelerating Technology: Sensors Are Censuring You

Where were you in 2007? That’s the year that technology began accelerating beyond belief. That acceleration has continued unabated and will continue to do so. While some people have benefited from technology’s expansive growth wave, it has also left hundreds of thousands of people stranded in its wake. Are you riding the technology wave or struggling in its wake?

As technology expanded its reach Japanese dairy farmers went to a high tech firm and asked them, “How can you help us manage our dairy cows?” The techies put a pedometer on the leg of each cow that connected to the farm by radio signal. Analysis showed that as a cow was going into heat (the prime time to do artificial insemination) its steps speeded up. By connecting the cows’ sensors to a monitor, a dairy farmer was able to know exactly when to do artificial insemination with each cow. Similarly in upper New York state dairy farmers now use sensory monitors for electronic milking.

Think about the implications. Every time you click a button on your computer or smart phone, it is fed into a retrieval system that then uses algorithms to mine ‘big data’ to discern small and large trends. One result we have all experienced is being bombarded by unwanted advertisements. But look at it another way. Since a large proportion of mass media and large wealthy corporations are owned and operated by conservatives, all of your data (clicks) is used to determine what messages will attract your support. Then wealthy conservatives pour money into media ads that push viewers toward their point of view.  Ever wondered why and how these ads are timed to destroy progressive candidates?

If you have read Thomas Friedman’s Thank You for Being Late, you know the cow examples come from the first section where he describes three compounding accelerations that are driving humans past the point of being able to adapt. The three he names are technology, climate change, and globalization of the economy.

Multi-Cultural Goddess by LiDoña Wagner
How many sensors are tracking your preferences?

Innovators Addressing Accelerating Climate Change

While incredible advances have been made in forms of clean energy (solar, wind, water, wave, etc.) the continued use of fossil fuels and the rapid expansion of human populations are still outstripping the earth’s capacity to absorb carbon. The Paris Accord was a giant step forward in global commitment to reversing this equation.

Fossil fuel industries, climate change deniers and the Dumpster may have their heads in the sand but leaders in over a hundred cities have committed to reaching US agreements in the Paris Accord. All of the states on the west coast, cities across the Midwest and South, and many Atlantic states have joined under Michael Bloomberg’s leadership to carry forward US carbon reduction commitments and have arranged to report to the United Nations on honoring the US commitment. And just this week over 1400 mayors in the United Sates Conference of Mayors passed a unanimous resolution committing to 100% clean, renewable energy. This reminds me of Margaret Mead’s comment. To paraphrase: Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the course of history. 

Friedman notes that with the independence and diversity of its cities and states, the United States is in a great position to launch a multitude of innovations that can address the trinity of compounding accelerations shaking today’s world. It is therefore intriguing to see that Bloomberg’s philanthropic foundation has committed $270 million dollars to city mayors who present inventive city policies that address climate change, education, and the opioid epidemic.

Bloomberg himself is an interesting example of the constant reinvention that today’s rapid changes require. He began as a Democrat but then reinvented himself as a Republican to run for office, and after recognizing the obsolescence of political parties he now identifies as an Independent. Obviously he believes in doing whatever it takes to address critical issues.

Birthplace of Human Technology by LiDoña Wagner
Population explosions in Africa and the Middle East are fueling instability
and unrest that make it difficult to navigate contemporary changes.

Climate change is exacerbated by the rapid expansion of human population that is overburdening earth’s systems. Countries in the industrialized world have brought down population growth significantly. But in Africa and the Middle East, where girls are denied education and women remain illiterate, population rates soar. These regions are producing a time bomb of young people who will be unable to find work and the means of survival.

It has been shown over and over again that the surest way to address population explosions is through the education of girls and women. The Malala Fund is a girls’ education program launched by the Nobel Peace Prize winning young Pakistani girl who recovered from being shot in the head by the Taliban. The Central Asia Institute has been building schools to educate girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan for over twenty years. Let Girls Learn is an educational initiative in Africa launched by Michelle Obama. You can put your finger in the dike holding back the population bomb by supporting any of these efforts.

Silk Road Trade by LiDoña Wagner
We've come a long way from transporting and trading necessary salt,
other spices and luxuries such as silk by camel across deserts and mountains. 

Live to Learn and Learn to Live

The American 'high-wages with low skills' era of post World War II is over and will not return. As Europe and Asia have rebuilt their economies, the United States' advantage has evaporated. Isolation and trade barriers will not stop the advancing global market; they will simply give other countries greater economic advantage. Whether it is an American, Chinese, Korean, European or any other large corporation, such entities will search the world to find the well-trained workers they need.

Like it or not, every worker is in competition not with his or her neighbor but with the most aspiring, committed, and skilled worker somewhere on the planet. Friedman gives the example of a graphic designer in Lebanon who understands her place in the global market. She upped her skills by taking an online web-design course. That certificate opened the door to having web-design clients all over the world. She did not sit on her hands waiting for a job to come to her; she invented her own job.

To participate in the world of today and tomorrow, one must be a lifelong learner. A young person anywhere in the world must learn how to learn and to innovate in order to forge a place for him or her self. The most altruistic companies give their workers opportunities to improve their skills, on their own time. This makes the growing edge of education that of online learning.

Robots and immigrants are not taking jobs away from unskilled white males in America. Rather an attitude of entitlement, a fear of learning new skills, and a rejection of global realities places dramatic limits on any person’s future. A job is not waiting for you; you must create it yourself. The choice of whether to be a dinosaur of the past or a lifelong learner and innovator belongs to everyone.

Paddling With the Current

How does any person navigate these three accelerating global trends: technology, climate change, and globalization? Friedman gives the example of how to manage a kayak going through rapid currents. Don’t take your paddle out of the water and don’t try to stop the kayak. Paddle as fast as the current is going so you can ride with it!

For me technology is the biggest challenge. I have been working on education of girls and women my whole life and on environmental sustainability since 1972 and I will continue to do so. As a lifelong learner and innovator, there will always be a place for me in the global market. Where I am a danger to society is in being reluctant to learn new technology. If I can combine my preference for human interaction with learning to partner with artificial intelligence perhaps I can help others navigate the waves of change that define our era.

Unable to find a photo of me kayaking, I took this one from Google images.
You can bet his arms got tired, but he made it safely through the rapids.