Tonight I had the eye-opening chance to listen to Garrick Blalock speak about why technology isn’t helping the poor. He started off the presentation by asking the audience if they know that Priuses are better for the environment, if they own a Prius, and if not, why not. When put like that, the answer seems simple: emissions from normal cars are contributing to global warming, but Priuses have lower emissions, so of course everybody should buy a Prius. However, this becomes a more complicated, moral dilemma once you factor in money. Priuses also happen to cost a lot more up front. So even though they ultimately help you save on gas money and save the environment, there is still that initial price hurdle to clear. This symbolizes the larger issue that going green and saving the environment are luxuries that less affluent people can afford. Organic grocery stores like Whole Foods are well known to be exorbitantly priced. Solar panels are more expensive than traditional forms of energy. All electric vehicles – not just the Prius – tend to be in a higher price range. Thus, when people do not live in the most environmentally friendly way possible, this may not be because they are selfish and enjoy their consumerist lifestyle; in fact, they simply cannot afford to live any other way.

When I was thinking about the issue of the expensive Prius, this also brought to mind for me the issue that the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer. The people who are rich enough to afford a Prius are the ones that get to save money on gas. The people who are rich enough to afford tutoring and elite educations are the ones that get to make more money. The people who are rich enough to invest in stocks are the ones that get to earn more dividends. And the list goes on.

With all these things in mind, when Professor Blalock talked about how the type of cook stove that is used in Uganda causes emissions that are harmful to breathe, this made me realize how imperative it is that they start adopting new, healthier cook stoves. And according to Professor Blalock, the new cook stoves aren’t even more expensive, so money is not a factor.