How New Technology creates a Lifestyle that Sustains the Environment - Term Paper Example

How New Technology creates a Lifestyle that Sustains the Environment INTRODUCTION Since the advent of technology humans have struggled to develop innovations and technologies to manipulate their world. They have struggled to meet their daily needs through these innovations even though they have known well that some of the innovations have degraded and polluted their environment (Johnson, par. 4). NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY Over the last 200 years, there was the industrial revolution period in the Great Britain; they experienced increased smoke levels that resulted in the darkening of tree backs and walls of buildings. Carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide emissions increased from the industries from the industrialized countries resulting in acidic rain that corroded iron sheets and other building materials. In the early 2000’s children also died in the Asian countries due to the disposal of chemical wastes in the rivers whose water they used for drinking. In 2000 to 2007, the level of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion increased to 22% - 8.2 billion tons. It also eroded the ozone layer thus causing global warming (Johnson par. 2). There is increased solar heating. Despite this, the world still experiences constant struggle for the development of new technologies as the organizations, people and governments fight for market control and profit maximization. However, this struggle for the development of new technologies is an attempt to stay relevant in the market as well as maximize profits even at the expense of the environmental welfare (EPA par. 4). TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT Technological developments have their impacts on work life balance. The work life balance is defined as the responsibility people place on their work, home life, their relationship to their friends and themselves. It is known that technology has an effect on the level of control people have with these responsibilities. Technology in most aspects has resulted in a negative work-life balance as it has taken away the time people used to spend together. With the technology, most people now strive to keep pace with the ever-changing technological world. The more time they spent chasing after technology, the more the new technology is developed hence they are always in constant pursuit of new technology. This has impacted negatively on their work life balance (Richardson par. 6). Technology for the development of industries has also resulted in climate-change-driven-drought. This has been through Carbon dioxide and other gas emissions that have formed a blanket of the atmosphere that causes the climatic conditions to change such that there has been shifting of the weather conditions such that climate conditions that were experienced in the equator have shifted. This has resulted in previously rainy places being deserts. These have mainly impacted on the crop prices across Africa. In Somalia, for example, an earlier wetland, drought struck, and the child mortality rate rose by ten percent (Sean par. 3). With the advent of technology, industrialization was developed that divided the world into two parts; urban and rural areas. Urbanization and industrialization are the crowding of some areas of technology and industries that results in abundant job opportunities while the countryside are left with less than 40% of the available jobs. This results in young people moving to the urban areas in pursuit of greener pastures while the countryside is left for the elderly (Johnson ). These urban areas are filled with industries that produce massive wastes that is either thrown to the rivers or let in form of gas to the atmosphere. Both of these ways resulted in environment pollution. In most cases these waste materials are not treated before they are disposed of to avoid pollution (Sean). In Kenya for example where there is the problem of the ‘Mungiki’ street gangs in the capital city’s slums of Kibera and Mathare. New technology can be used to move from the new satellite city to the rural areas, the group will follow (Johnson ). Technological advancements have created a lot of environmental problems. These include water, air, and sound pollution. Global warming, the primary concern of the modern day era is another effect of technology. These effects are the results of high technological equipment being used in the manufacturing and extraction industry. The 19th and 20th century demonstrated that world economies could only stabilize by relying on new technologies. This has been at the expense of a clean and safe environment. However, it is vital that the world economies must be sensitized to the importance of using technology to sustain their environment rather than polluting the environment through the same technology. Most of these economies believe that the economic success is much more important than the consequences accumulating from the pollution resulting from their activities (Oscar 1). Technological advancements have also brought about climate change that has led to the change of the world’s climate. In fact, it has been predicted that by the year 2050, over fifty million species of living organisms will become extinct. This made the Czech Republic form its delegates to convince the United Nations to concentrate on the root causes of climate change. It insists that a sustainable technology must be achieved. Otherwise, countries such as China will bring the world to extinction. However, the technology can be used to create lifestyles that sustain the environment such as in chemical industries using organic solvents to remove lignin from paper (EPA). Technology has resulted in the development of the benign water based system to help in the removal of lignin. These chemical efficiently removes color from pulp without using inorganic solvents thereby removing the need for producing dioxins and other sulfur based components that are not environment sustainable. This makes the process and the paper made environment sustainable. New technology through the Green design and industrial ecology are directed towards protecting the environment. In this approach water, energy and materials acquisition, use and dumping are enhanced. The principal objective of the strategy is to conserve energy, water, and materials. This approach ensures that waste materials are also disposed of appropriately so that the environment is conserved (Johnson par. 4). New technology has also been deployed in the extraction of chemicals and gasses from industry materials that contribute to acid rain. This is through the removal of carbon and sulfur compounds. Dr. Chunshan Song and his associates at the Pennsylvania State University received a TSE grant to help them come up with technology to remove these components. They came up with a process that efficiently eliminates these gasses from the materials at reduced costs. The resultant products are free from sulfur hence environment-friendly. Technology can also be used to develop lifestyles that sustain our environment through then development smart energy networks. These are next generation energy systems that mix gas cogeneration systems with renewable energy to allow for the production of integrated energy saving sources of power. It provides new sources of energy (Oscar pg. 2). Although it is important for organizations to develop new technologies so as to maximize profits, they should also strive to ensure that their innovation does not severely affect the environment. In fact, they should develop technologies to help counter the environmental degradation. It has been seen that technology can be used to create lifestyles that sustain the environment. Such techniques include robots that assist the elderly with their chores while at the same time ensuring that their environment is kept clean. COMMENTARY Environmental sustainability refers to the balancing of the environmental protection and the social responsibility of a healthy economy over the years. This ensures that we not only look at the economic benefits of our inventions, but we also consider their negative aspects. This ought to be the goal of the entire human race. However, we have always emphasized the importance the economic significance of technology at the expense of our environment. Environment is sustained through development of smart energy networks which results in the renewable source of energy that are energy saving. Furthermore, the technology results in emitting gasses in the atmosphere and, as a result, toxic chemicals are eliminated through acidic rain. Lastly, technology results into urbanization. This is as a result of creating of industries that are majorly the primary source of employment for any nation. Therefore, the economy of the country is enhanced and more so, the population growth development is substantially achieved. On the other hand, the social welfare of the community can be shifted from technology may involve brain drain. Due to this, the knowledgeable people may leave the society to look for better employment to another region both locally and internationally. As a result of the consequent pollution of the environment, some of us have suffered from diseases such as cancer and some lost their lives. The current environmental pollution should, therefore, be reversed as soon as possible by controlling the industrial effluents and sensitizing awareness to all nations in the entire world. CONCLUSION There exist areas such as green engineering and chemistry play that we can use to develop technology that can create lifestyles that sustain the environment. This discovery reveals that the technology can be used to sustain the environment rather than polluting the environment. The challenge with current technology is that many people look at the profits their new technology can yield much more than how it can impact their environment. This makes innovators develop new technologies even though they know very well that it may be harmful to themselves and even future generations. We realize that the technology should be developed in such a way that it promotes lifestyles that help us sustain the environment. Robotics and other inventions should help us with the maintaining our environment, but they should not take part in destroying the environment. Works Cited EPA. "Technology for a Sustainable Environment." 2014. United States Environment Environment Protection Agency. Web. 01 December, 2014. http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations. Johnson , Leo. "Petropolis now: Are cities getting too big?" 14 November, 2013. New Statesman. Web. 01 December 2014. http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/11/petropolis-now. 01 December 2014. Osaka. "Developing Environmental Technologies." 2014. OSAKA GAS. Web. 01 December 2014. http://www.osakagas.co.jp/csr_e/charter02/technology.html. Richardson, Kathleen. "My friend the robot." 16 February 2007. IELTS. Web. 01 December 2014. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/207843.article. 01 December 2014. Sean, Gresh. Smart, Sustainable Cities: The Backbone Of A Civilized World. November 2013. Web. 01 December 2014. http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/speeches/92545853/smart-sustainable-cities-backbone-civilized-world.. Read More