Over the past few
months I have told a number of people that I’d be leading a study abroad
program on sustainability in Dubai.
Nearly everyone I spoke to responded, “You have to go to Masdar
City.” Evidently every person I know had
seen the New York Times’ front page article
on Masdar City....a laboratory for developing sustainable technologies.
Recently, fatigued by trying to write a certain
research proposal, I decided to explore the Phoenix Sonoran Bikeway going
south: a bike trail that I have noticed is marked by special signs through the
nicer neighborhoods in downtown Phoenix.
We often forget that technologies are more than just
a bundle of metal, gears and electronics. To provide us with any benefits,
machines have to be woven into our practices and daily lives. There are
few technologies that exemplify this better than the automobile.
