No more bad news

At the News from the Future symposium, M. Granger Morgan, head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, presented faux news stories from the future, in which government has adopted regulations and infrastructure improvements that would save lives and prevent major social and economic disruptions. Morgan's research, for example, has found that cell phones interfere with the navigation systems of airplanes, and that the U.S. power grid is highly vulnerable to severe weather and to terrorist attack.

There are several steps we can take to minimize the impact of power outages. LED bulbs can be used to reduce the likelihood that traffic signals will fail. Back-up stations can prevent cell phone networks from failing. And many cities, like Pittsburgh, don't have back-up systems for police radios, and after several days of blackout would not be able to run its water and sewage systems.

Then of course there is climate change caused by the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- global warming. Morgan said that reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere requires a reduction in emissions of 80 percent. The cost of replacing carbon-emitting power stations with zero-carbon generators over the next 50 years would be less than it costs the industry to comply with the U.S. Clean Air Act, Granger said.

During the Q & A after the symposium, Morgan spoke of the challenges of getting developing nations like China and Brazil, which are experiencing rapid economic growth, to adopt regulations to reduce carbon emissions. That should not keep the U.S. from acting now.  

Jonathan Potts