Making Cities Sustainable with Technology:

by Kiran Jayasinghe

With a rapidly growing population, increasing amounts of waste, and a planet that does not, in fact, grow, we must find a way to keep our cities sustainable so that Earth does not turn into a desolate planet, as depicted in Wall-E. The solution, as many scientists think, is technology and science. For example, we can use artificial intelligence to record data and video around cities, and then use that data to predict things like disasters or accidents. AI can use software to recognize the sound of a failing elevator shaft and alert the necessary people, or spot weak points in infrastructure to prevent collapse, We can help cities become zero-emission by using science to mitigate climate warming.

As Scientific American says in their article, www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-are-key-to-making-cities-sustainable, we must learn to fuse social science with sustainability science to create a city that will benefit the people and the planet. For example, while controversial, Governor Newsom's executive order to cease all sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 (www.npr.org/2020/09/23/916209659/california-governor-signs-order-banning-sales-of-new-gasoline-cars-by-2035) was a step in the right direction. City leaders and government officials must cooperate with scientists to make the most beneficial plan.