A Tidal Flood Tool, EVs, and a Humble Man

Summary

The web content provides an editorial review of three technology articles, discussing a tidal flood tool, electric vehicles, and the legacy of Aaron Swartz, while reflecting on the impact of technology on society and the environment.

Abstract

The article presents a thoughtful analysis of recent technological developments and their societal implications. It begins by recalling the documentary "The Internet's Own Boy" and an article by Llewellyn Daniels, which both highlight the life and ideals of Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz, who advocated for free information and was critical of technology's potential to control the masses. The editorial then shifts to the practical implications of climate change, referencing a NASA study on coastal flooding and the role of the moon's wobble in exacerbating this issue in the 2030s. The piece also touches on the environmental and ethical concerns surrounding the construction of the Line 3 pipeline on Ojibwe Tribal Lands, emphasizing the need for sustainable infrastructure and environmental justice. Lastly, the article praises Elon Musk's contributions to electric vehicles and space exploration through Tesla and SpaceX, while acknowledging the broader impact of technological entrepreneurship.

Opinions

The author admires Aaron Swartz's vision for free information and sees his untimely death as a significant loss for the freedom of information.
There is skepticism about the promises of technological advancements leading to shorter workweeks, as this has not materialized for most people.
The author is concerned about the effects of climate change, particularly rising sea levels and the increased frequency of coastal flooding.
There is a critical view of oil companies, particularly their control over narratives and the environmental damage they cause, especially to protected Native American lands.
The author supports President Biden's infrastructure framework, hoping it will address environmental issues and create jobs.
The author appreciates NASA's efforts in developing tools to predict and manage coastal flooding.
The piece expresses admiration for Elon Musk's ventures in electric vehicles and space exploration, viewing them as positive contributions to technological progress.

An editorial review of three technology articles.

Reddit has recently become interesting to me, so when I first noticed the documentary on Netflix called The Internet’s Own Boy and then Llewellyn Daniels article, there were too many coincidences to ignore.

The man in question wanted freedom for information. For everybody to learn for free. Much like Nelson Mandela, some of whose quotes Llewellyn shares in his story. He also shares that we should be concerned about a few people using technology to control the masses.

I still recall being told in the 70s that thanks to technological advancements, I would be working shorter days or only four days a week and have more leisure time. Most of the world is still waiting except for Iceland.

Aaron Swartz was the co-founder of Reddit. A humble man with humble intentions and he was killed for those humble intentions.

Recently, I found a gorgeous art deco building with luxuriously renovated flats in a quaint coastal town called Bo’ness. If the property were just for me and I wasn’t leaving it to my son, I would have leaped at the chance. The reason I didn’t buy it lies in the word coastal.

The building has a sea view and suffers from occasional ground floods. With oceans rising and more regular floods expected in the coming years, buying a property just across the road from the Firth of Forth would be a folly.

A wobbly moon doesn’t sound safe at all, and Simon Spichak explains how that wobble, fossil fuels, and our behaviors will cause more of what many countries have already seen.

What’s the moon good for anyway? It isn’t made of cheese, doesn’t have an active outpost, and is, in general, a pretty boring rock. Yet it still exerts a force of gravity on the Earth.

Oil companies are still getting away with controlling the narrative and poisoning Native American’s aquifers on lands protected by treaties signed in 1837, 1855 and maintained by the supreme court in 1999.

President Biden says his $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is a critical step in implementing his Build Back Better vision. He also wants to:

Make the largest investment in addressing legacy pollution in American history, a cleanup effort that will create good-paying union jobs and advance environmental justice.

This is an investment that I sincerely hope includes stopping the new Line 3 pipeline from being constructed across Ojibwe Tribal Lands.

NASA scientists based their flood predictions on data they gathered from 89 US coastal locations, excluding Alaska.

A high-tide flood tool developed by Thompson already exists on the NASA team’s sea level portal, a resource for decision-makers and the general public. The flood tool will be updated in the near future with the findings of this study.

My dad applauds technological entrepreneur Elon Musk at every opportunity, electric cars, Space X, cryptocurrency, etc.

This third and last article is from Tom Handy, in the quote below he’s talking about Friday, April 23rd, 2021. He provides us with key points, facts, and figures on the astronauts involved in the project.

When Elon Musk is not working on Tesla, he is working on his other project, SPACE X. Early Friday morning, SPACE X launched four astronauts into orbit to the space station. The spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral at 5:49 am EST.

Karen Madej is a freelance writer. She writes about injustices in her publication, Transformation Pending. Pens editorials for ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, and Technology Hits on the Medium platform. And creates fictional stories published by Vocal.