Mobile Technology and Sustainability

65 million years ago, the dinosaurs were exterminated. Today more than 6 billion people depend primarily on non-renewable resources for survival. What many fail to recognize is that burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is reaching a dead end and also has debilitating immediate effects on our surroundings. The “environment” is no longer limited to species’ natural habitat, where one solely imagines the seven biomes. Instead it encompasses human interaction within the biotic, abiotic, cultural, and social worlds. Dirty energy sources are a major example of how humans drastically alter not only the physical environment, but the economy as well. While the increase of forest fires, heat waves, droughts, floods, heavy precipitation and disease is a reality for most, others still deem Global Warming as a myth. In order to make the Earth’s population more aware of these dramatic consequences and how to contribute to avoiding them, mobile technology can play an important role. Mobile technology comprises mobile applications, (iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Java ME), mobile web sites, SMS and voice solutions. Mobile phones are always at an arm distance of their owners and have the potential to reach masses of people and thus, make a difference. More specifically, they can be used to educate users about anything related to going green in an entertaining or serious way, on the fly or in a studious environment. In this research, we are studying how mobile technology can be used to create a more sustainable future.