Articles by Chris Schults

Will the Three Laws of Robotics be enough?

It's bad enough that we consume too much. Now we've gone ahead and created other beings who have the potential to do the same: robots. That's right, I give you the self-replicating robot.

Whether you like it or not, robots are going to be produced. So, you can either fight it or help ensure that they will have as little impact on the environment as possible. I'll go with the latter.

Robots are slowly being integrated into our lives. They regularly appear in movies, on television and in books. They clean our floors, entertain our children, diffuse bombs and explore distant planets. Some are even modeled after their makers, acting as greeters and guides. In the future, robots may assist humans with special needs, or perform duties dangerous or undesirable to us. In short, as depicted in the movie I, Robot, robots could eventually become as pervasive as the automobile. While this future is most likely far off, current events dictate that we act now.

Now I have to admit, watching the online video of these simplistic little buggers replicating themselves is cool. But, as I watch, I become concerned. Not only should one ask What resources will humans use to create an abundance of advanced robots in the first place?, but also, How will these robots go about reproducing on their own? Will they be dependent on humans to "feed" them the ingredients necessary for replication or will they be autonomous in this respect? I mean, will they start creating their own robot factories? You can see where I'm going with this ... robots and humans -- along with the rest of Earth's species -- competing for already depleted resources.

So, the question is: What set of guiding principles do we hard-code into robots now so they're most likely included in robots produced in the future? To put it another way, do we want the Terminator or the likes of the machines in The Matrix? Or do we want Data, 3-CPO and Marvin? I thought so.

USDA caves to vegetarian pressure.

Several Gristmillians have advocated that going veg is good for the environment.

Vegetarians were a little miffed when the USDA announced its new food pyramid, er, pyramids without providing dietary recommendations for a plant-based diet.

Well, someone must have been listening, as "Vegetarian Diets" is now listed under MyPyramid.gov's "Tips & Resources."

Interestingly, it seems like the USDA's definition of the term "vegetarian" leans more toward "vegan," as they specifically provide tips for "lacto-ovo vegetarians." I would have expected the opposite.

However, the folks over at PCRM make the point that this information is only available on the website and not in the printed literature ...

But such online resources don't meet the needs of consumers who do not or cannot use the Internet. What the country really needed was a simple graphic conveying a clear message about how to improve our eating habits.

And for those of you who missed it, go back in time to read our fearless leader's thoughts on using the MyPyramid concept for green purposes.

And while we're on the topic of graphics to convey good practices, I also refer you to Sustainable Business: A Declaration of Leadership, from the archives. (Okay, I know this has nothing to do with food or vegetarians or pyramids, but I just wanted to point out there is some good stuff buried under all the other good stuff.)

Wired reports on the new power generation

We Americans sure do like labels don't we? (And I'm not talking about food labels.) That's right, in addition to soccer moms cruising around town in hybrids and flexitarians buying their food stuffs at Whole Foods and the like, we now have "hygridders."

What's a hygridder? According to a Wired article:

... people who are both middle of the road and off the grid. Across the US some 185,000 households have switched from the local power company to their own homegrown, renewable energy. The fastest-growing segment of this population - their ranks are doubling each year - isn't doing a full Kaczynski. Sure, these folks are slapping solar panels on the roof and erecting the occasional wind turbine, but they're staying connected to the grid, just to be safe. And in many cases, they're operating as mini-utilities, selling excess electricity back to the power company. Just as their cars aren't kludgy and their food isn't flavorless, their homes aren't drafty or dimly lit. Call them hygridders. And look for them soon in a neighborhood near you. Because - trendmeisters, take note - hygrid is the new Prius.

Learn about this new breed by reading the article. And if you feel so inclined, let us know what you think or tell us about your foray into hygridding.

Grist wins Webby Award.

So, a few weeks ago we mentioned that Grist was up for a Webby Award in the magazine category. Well, if you haven't heard, Grist is the People's Voice winner! Woo-hoo!

While our friends at AlterNet.org won the Webby Award, Grist got the vote of the people, which is what really matters. (What does a panel of judges know anyhoo?)

Needless to say, everyone at Grist appreciates all who supported us.