Zatni Arbi, Contributor, Jakarta
People are clearly scared by the prospect of having to live through severe and accelerated climate change, especially global warming caused by humans.
That was why all eyes were on the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali. Obviously, no quick fix is likely to be found for the impact of decades of neglect. All we can pray for is the commitment of the world community, and that everybody will do whatever they can do to reverse - or at least haltthe trend.
Whatever the eventual impact of the conference, it is clear that we are faced with a number of challenges.
Modern life is synonymous with electricity, and as upward mobility continues, more energy will be needed to meet the demand for comfort and convenience.
So, to start with, we need alternative energy sources that will reduce our dependence on pollution-creating fossil fuels.
Research on solar energy, wind energy and other sources that will not produce carbon dioxide will continue to intensify in the coming years. At the same time, reducing power consumption is becoming increasingly pivotal. A good example would be the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED)-based lighting systems in various applications, including for interior lighting in buildings.
Too bad the environment is often used more as a catchy ingredient for marketing mottoes than for real change. It sells. We have seen a lot of technologies and products labeled "Environmentally Friendly", "Environmentally Responsible", "Organic","Eco-product", "Eco-friendly",- the list is as long as the Eurostar rail track.
The Green movement appears to be gaining traction. When we look around us, however, the environmental disasters are unfortunately caused by our own deeds. For example, we still use non-biodegradable plastic bags to carry our groceries. We still throw Styrofoam containers and cups anywhere we like. We still pour harmful detergents down the drain. It's an uphill battle to educate billions of ignorant or indifferent people around the world.
The search for a better life isn't just about creature comforts; it also involves health and well-being. The competition between traditional - or so-called- medicines and clinically-tested drugs continues. In the past, people chose traditional medication because of the perceived chemical contents of the products of modern pharmaceutical companies.
The preferred alternative therapy in Indonesia is Chinese Traditional Medicine, while other methods such as aromatherapy and homeopathy are also booming.
Today, if you search the Web,find conflicting information on the safety of traditional medicines as well as newly found benefits of certain plants. Some claim that herbal medicines can heal the world's most feared health problems, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and cancer.
At the very least, efforts are being intensified to minimize the impact of illnesses so that the patient's quality of life is as good as possible.
In the next few years, research on health and diseases will enjoy more priority. Recently a group of researchers used a consensus-building technique involving 155 scientists in 50 countries around the world to define a roadmap toward tackling 20 of the world's deadliest diseases. Those include heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Information technology is also directed toward supporting the green revolution. Computer components are being designed to work with less power, which also means less heat. Their parts have to be made from materials that will not create time bombs in landfills.
In the area of energy-efficient wireless communications, solar powered Base Transceiver Stations have been deployed in rural Sumatra thanks to a cooperative effort between Telkomsel and Ericsson. Low operating costs will help bring affordable wireless communication to remote areas without polluting the environment.
What else will get top priority in the science and technology field? Human greed and carelessness, combined with the havoc wreaked by natural disasters, have left human beings with a lot of new problems.
Fresh water is one. It is getting harder and harder to get clean water, especially in the poorly-managed urban areas of developing nations (Jakarta not excluded).
The need for potable water is even more urgent because of its direct relationship with human health.
The bottled drinking water business was quite small 30 years ago. Today, packaged water is a staple of our diets and a significant expense.
According to one published report, one out of six people in the world do not have access to safe and dependable drinking water. Living in a developing country like Indonesia, we know that this figure is very likely to be overly optimistic. One thing is clear: Research and development efforts will be reoriented toward finding cost-effective ways to recycle the water we use without creating yet another set of problems.
Individual safety and security technology are in increasing demand. Terrorist attacks on civilians have turned Hollywood movies into reality, and travel, especially air travel, has become very inconvenient due to added restrictions and security checks. People will want experience the joy of traveling without the current hassles, and technology will help.
Surveillance on properties - including our own homes - will enjoy a larger market. In the past we have seen technologies such as motion tracking, face recognition and video compression advancing rapidly, and research in this area will continue to flourish.
As more and more devices rely on radio frequencies for connectivity, there will be increased concern about their impact on our health.
In the mobile communication field, for example, we have GSM, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and soon WiMAX, all sending electromagnetic radiation bouncing around us. The December 2007 issue of Science & Technology Review highlights the use of simulation to determine the health impacts of electromagnetic waves.
Where else will R&D programs be focused? Judging from the many publications we can get on the Internet, it is hard to pinpoint. Citing a list on Economist.com, we can probably safely say that DNA and genetic engineering, nanotechnology, nuclear for peaceful and non-peaceful purposes, stem cells, cancer, robotics and green cars will continue to be in vogue.
