The various technologies used to study weather have shown that the increase in precipitation can’t be explained just by natural fluctuations in the climate system. Studies published in the journal Nature took all the information showing increases in extreme rain and snow from the 1950’s through the 1990’s and ran dozens of computer models. Only when greenhouse gases were factored in did the models show increases in precipitation similar to what occurred. Because warmer air holds more water, significant rains and snows were 7% wetter in the 1990’s than in the 1950’s – leaving global warming doubters “all wet”.
The technology involved in red light cameras saves lives. That was the result of a 2011 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In 14 large cities that installed cameras between 1996 and 2004, fatal crashes decreased 24%. Interestingly, those same cities also had a decrease in fatalities at intersections with basic traffic lights. According to the Institute, the reduction translated into 159 lives saved over 5 years. Supposedly, if all large cities had red light cameras, 815 lives could have been saved. However, for those continuing to go through red lights, a “red-letter” day could be in their near future.
Nevertheless, in spite of all the good things technology does for us, it’s hazardous to our health because it interferes with our sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2011 poll, 95% of the 1,508 people polled used some type of electronic device – television, computer, video game, cell phone – within an hour of bedtime a few nights a week. Unfortunately, those devices tend to take time away from sleep; they over-stimulate us; and when we’re in bed, the light the devices emit suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone, melatonin. In fact, it’s probably not good to have a “bright” idea when we are in bed.
Also, technology can be used against us. In Pennsylvania narcotics were smuggled into prisons concealed under postage stamps. In New Jersey a children’s coloring book dedicated “to daddy” was mailed to an inmate. The crayon-colored scribbling contained drugs. On a larger scale, millions of dollars of cocaine were converted into liquid and gel and transported from Peru to New Jersey disguised as shampoos and creams. The cardboard boxes containing fresh flowers sent from South America to New Jersey turned into liquid heroin when shredded and mixed with a special solution. In 2011 these are examples of “techNOlogy”.