I have always imagined myself to be anti-technology– modern technology, at least. I've only ever found problems in modern tech, having studied Smart Cities sociologically (and reading copious amounts of Byung Chul Han). Therefore I have only ever been sceptical and even pessimistic to what people claim to be "progressive". That's why I'm here, anyway, and not on Instagram. Further, I bought a flipphone as a "protest" against the smartphone industry, or at least to deviate from social norms.
But reading this book opened my eyes to a new way of looking at it. Apparently, the carbon emissions of some modern technology are much less than old technology. For example, taking an electric bike is surprisingly more carbon-efficient than regular cycling. Or sending a letter emits more carbon than emailing. Of course, this is not true of all technology. Some modern artifacts are less carbon-efficient than their traditional counterparts. However, it's still true that carbon-efficient modern tech exist, and I cannot be discriminating any new thing I see.
Truthfully, I am not any less sceptical to some aspects of modern technology. A lot of things like big data, quantification of the self, and AI are still inherently deeply problematic to me. However, I am now able to sharpen my vision of the world— to see it as it is; nuanced and diverse. I hope to continue enhancing my vision of the world and the capacity of my knowledge-seeking capabilities.
Mas.