We’re approaching the mid-point of 2006 and The IEEE is beginning the mid-year society membership drive. By offerring free 1/2 year memberships to a society, they hope to increase the number of paid full-year memberships. I don’t mind, because it gives a suitable period of discovery to make an honest decision. This time around, I was offered a membership to The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology.

I’ve had a short glance around and have read a few of the online articles via Xplore. How far into history do we draw from? We have evidence of technological changes over millenia. How far into the future do we plan for? Considering our reliance on a finite fuel supply and the rate of change that we’re imposing on the world we live in, it’s hard to believe that we’re putting thought into the end of our own generation, let alone the next few.

As an engineer, I have a responsibility to complete my designs to be a benefit to society and to the world, and to minimize the negative impact, but there is another point of view to take: as a consumer, it is my responsibility to choose products for a sustainable future.