The Good and Bad of Technology by Angela Orebaugh

I live in a high-tech world and my passion is the environment. Recently, I’ve been doing some reading and thinking about how technology can both help and harm our environment. I have addressed this issue indirectly through a number of my articles in this column, including suggesting the consolidation of electronic devices on your smart phone (i.e., combining phone, camera, video, GPS, and games); weighing the green aspects of the Apple iPad versus the resources that it still takes to make one; recycling e-waste; and countless other areas. This article is more direct: how is technology helping or harming our environment? 

Helping:

• Saving Natural Resources: Tech products like computers, smart phones, tablets, and e-readers lessen the need for paper for books, magazines, newspapers, and even document signing. Not only does email save trees, but it also saves fuel used by snail mail carriers and delivery services. Web and teleconferences have saved fuel by enabling remote connectivity and teleworking. Technology has enabled the development of hybrid and electric vehicles saving on fuel and reducing carbon emissions.
• Reducing Energy Consumption: High-efficiency appliances and building systems have saved fuel and reduced energy consumption. Home automation systems can save energy by informing the user of consumption best practices, programming heat and air for maximum efficiency, and turning off lights and electronics when not needed.
• Reducing Consumption: Services like streaming music and movies reduce the need to produce CDs and DVDs. E-commerce has also lessened the need for big box stores that take up space and resources.
• Enabling Better Environmental Planning: Technology, including computer-aided design and visualization programs, has enabled more efficient planning of roadways, cities, and buildings—lessening their impact on the environment.

Harming:

• Creating Pollution: E-waste is a big problem because people don’t recycle their electronics. Electronics fill landfills with hazardous waste from the metals, batteries, and other toxic substances they include.
• Causing Overconsumption: There are too many electronic devices available on the market and they sometimes have redundant features, and all of them are using electricity and putting a strain on our outdated electrical grid. Many new high-tech electronic devices have an “always on” mode for remote connectivity. Even when in idle or energy savings mode, most electronic devices are still using power, called “vampire power.” Consumers feed the harmful effects of overconsumption by purchasing the latest and greatest gadgets as they are released.
• Taxing Manufacturing Resources and Generating Waste: It takes stuff to make stuff. The manufacturing of electronic products takes energy and resources, and results in waste products. Often rare earth elements are stripped from mines and then wasted as electronics are not recycled. Manufacturing also creates pollution from chemicals used for production.
• Increasing Energy Consumption at Large: Not only are all those electronic devices in your home using energy, but technology companies are huge consumers of energy. Think of data centers and other Internet service providers. Some companies have made steps for alternative power and energy efficiencies but still consume enormous amounts of energy.

I’m hoping in the future more technology products will be made from recycled technology products, and may even include compostable components as well. It would be great to continue to see manufacturing companies embrace alternative energy, waste reduction, and other sustainable practices. Until then, do what you can to enjoy the convenience of living in a high-tech world while lessening your carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Spring Cleaning and Electronics

Natural Disasters and Green Tech

By Angela Orebaugh, Booz Allen Hamilton Cyber Fellow

Spring has sprung, the weather is warming, and the time has come to start cleaning out closets, cabinets, and drawers. You may have electronics that you no longer use or no longer work. For the ones that no longer work, find an electronics recycling event in your area. These aren’t easy to come by, but my local Whole Foods Market is having one this spring, so check around. For the electronics that still work, consider donating them to charity. Some organizations to consider for donations include:

• iPads. Apple stores collect used iPads to donate to Teach for America, allowing teachers in the neediest areas to have iPads.
• Computers. Used computers can be donated to Computers with Causes and World Computer Exchange for classrooms in the U.S. and overseas. Computers with Causes even offer a free vacation voucher with donation. World Computer Exchange takes working computer parts.
• Cell phones. Many organizations, including Cell Phones for Soldiers, EcoCell, and March of Dimes accept used cell phones. Sprint and Verizon offer take-back programs for donating used phones to charity. Many Booz Allen locations have regular cell phone collection boxes or drives. Check with your local Green Office Team or Facilities Offices Services team to see if your office has a program.
• Other Electronics. Recycling for Charities accepts many types of electronics including cell phones, MP3 players, and cameras. It allows you to select the charity to receive your donation.
• Printer Cartridges. In addition to electronics, Cartridges for Kids accepts all brands of laser and inkjet cartridges and donates the proceeds to the school or charity of your choice.

Make sure to check with the organization about tax incentives-your donation may be tax deductible. Happy cleaning!

Natural Disasters and Green Tech

Natural Disasters and Green Tech

By Angela Orebaugh, Booz Allen Hamilton Cyber Fellow

Over the past year, we've seen a number of destructive natural events from the June “derecho” that struck the Metro DC area to Hurricane Sandy. These storms caused billions of dollars in damage to buildings and infrastructure, including mass disruption of electrical service. On more than one occasion, electrical crews from dozens of neighboring states were called upon to help repair power lines and restore service to customers. This isn't something I remember seeing much of in the past, but as the population grows and cities and towns expand, the same outdated electric grid is expanding and serving more and more people by the day. During power outages, many without generators flock to the stores in hopes of finding one. Generators provide a temporary crutch until the main power supply is restored, but generators require fuel, often in the form of gas or propane. As we are seeing in New York and New Jersey in the aftermath of Sandy, the gasoline supply is becoming scarce (or inoperable due to lack of power) and rationing and long lines are the current norm.

Green technology cannot lessen the natural impact of the wind and water of these events, but it does have the ability to lessen the impact of the power outages on households, businesses, and infrastructure. Using green technology such as solar panels would provide enough electricity for the basics (or at least cell phone charging) without the need for gas. The Smart Grid may make the electric grid more storm proof by providing decentralized, redundant microgrids and islanding of energy generation and distribution. The benefit of green technology was demonstrated during Japan's blackouts after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as Tohoku Fukushi University maintained power due to its microgrid of distributed generators and batteries. With the right kind of grid installed, batteries in electric vehicles may be used to provide power to homes during power outages.

Green technologies such as these have yet to be fully adopted; however, green technology products and services could see an increase in demand if events like the derecho and Hurricane Sandy become more frequent. At a minimum, I know I’m going to purchase a solar cell phone charger soon.

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Angela Orebaugh is a Senior Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton and acts as a technology futurist and thought leader with a focus in cybersecurity. She synergizes her 18 years of strategic and technical experience within commercial, academic, and government environments to advise clients on next generation technologies and disruptive innovation. Ms. Orebaugh evangelizes social media and mobile technologies by highlighting the powerful ways in which these technologies are changing business, communications, and information sharing. Ms. Orebaugh educates clients on the security and privacy implications of constantly changing and emerging technologies and provides guidance on applying the appropriate measures to protect the organization and its assets from security incidents.

Ms. Orebaugh is an internationally recognized author of best selling technology books including, Wireshark and Ethereal Network Protocol Analyzer Toolkit, Ethereal Packet Sniffing, and Nmap in the Enterprise. She has also co-authored the Snort Cookbook, Intrusion Prevention and Active Response, and How to Cheat at Configuring Open Source Security Tools. She is an invited speaker at a variety of cybersecurity conferences and technology events including the SANS Institute and The Institute for Applied Network Security.