Forget unicorns; let’s mend the Earth

Science tells us that Earth is turning into a greenhouse, that life is collapsing before our eyes, that inequalities are escalating. We reply that to save the planet we should create start-ups that are cool and “scalable”. Unfortunately, trying to solve problems inherited from the twentieth century by applying the same logic that created them will only make matters worse. Technology has a major role to play in facing the enormous challenges that are to come, but as the young activist Greta Thunberg tells politicians, we should maybe start by doing our homework and taking the time to listen to scientists before acting. To make technology work for the common good, to try out new ways of doing things; pioneers have already shown us the way. They love technology. Their businesses might not be unicorns. But they can inspire us.