Abstract
Earth-scale convergence systems comprise dynamic, complex, and interrelated environmental Earth-scale systems, energy production and consumption systems, and man-made technological systems such as telecommunications and various metropolitan and agricultural infrastructure systems. This chapter views Earth-scale systems from five viewpoints: knowledge systems, monitoring systems, communication systems, management systems and tools, and Earth-scale and other contributing technologies, including robotics. Ideally, convergence-based technological solutions to Earth-scale systems problems can be found that do not have serious political, social, or economic repercussions, but it is far more likely that difficult tradeoffs will have to be made in decision-making at local, national, and international levels. Sustainability is an increasingly important concept being incorporated into society’s thinking about technological solutions to Earth-scale problems. Improving data and modeling capabilities, monitoring (including spaced-based) and communication systems, and collaboration and management tools will be critical.
Corresponding editors M.C. Roco (mroco@nsf.gov) and W.S. Bainbridge (wbainbri@nsf.gov).
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Notes
- 1.
One example in the field of climate science and sustainability is SNOTEL, a weather-related automated or telemetered monitoring system of weather stations that serves as a snowfall depth monitoring network (established by the USGS; see Trimble et al. 1997). Another is NSF’s NEON observatory designed to gather and provide ecological data on the impacts of climate change, land use change, and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity.
- 2.
See the Sustainable Development Portal of the World Bank: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSDNET/0,,menuPK:4812133~pagePK:64885066~piPK:4812134~theSitePK:5929282,00.htm
- 3.
Because of this, prospects for renewable energy, for example, have gone from if they will ever be widely implemented to when they will be implemented and how best they can be integrated into existing electricity grids.
- 4.
See the U.S. Department of Energy Smart Grid website http://energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid
- 5.
See the U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems website http://www.its.dot.gov/
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- 7.
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- 9.
- 10.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, absent extensions of Federal subsidies for renewable energy generation, the projected share of U.S. electricity generation coming from renewable fuels (including conventional hydropower) will be only 16 % by 2040, although this figure is sensitive to natural gas prices and the relative costs of alternative generation; see http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/early_elecgen.cfm
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Tonn, B. et al. (2013). Convergence Platforms: Earth-Scale Systems. In: Roco, M., Bainbridge, W., Tonn, B., Whitesides, G. (eds) Convergence of Knowledge, Technology and Society. Science Policy Reports. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02204-8_3
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