Impact of engineering on natural and social environment - Essay Example

IMPACT OF ENGINEERING ON NATURAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Introduction In my younger days engineering was thought to be a word used to describe construction activities such as formation of new buildings, roads, etc. but as I grew up, I found that this is a word that has entered into each and every system. Fields such as genetic, marine, environmental engineering, etc. has brought about a series of changes in the surrounding environment. While engineering technologies have allowed human to earn more and move from villages to cities, there are many who have to bare its cost.

This paper discusses some of these issues and focuses on the implications for natural and social environment. Technological growth has given rise to huge cities and many people from villages are moving towards cities looking for new opportunities. In earlier day’s people in the villages were comparatively more self-sufficient than when they reached the cities. For instance, farmers grew the necessary food for their family and the remaining was sold. Today, the agricultural technologies have entered the fields and have made this an expensive affair.

Farmers are forced to buy seeds especially the genetically modified seeds [1], pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and machines. Besides, the land, water and atmosphere are contaminated with the over-use of chemical pesticides. In other words, these technological revolutions in the field of agriculture have made it an economical burden for the farmers and are becoming more and more unsustainable. The technological development has increased the gap between the rich and the poor. The benefit of technology is only for the rich people in the society [1].

Genetic engineering is another field that has resulted in serious changes in the natural environment. Genetic modification of plants and animals has raised several ethical questions. For instance, the use of transgenic flora for the preparation of vaccines is a recent research. The introduction of a human protein into fruits such as bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes has resulted in the development of archetypes of vaccines against hepatitis B, cholera, and diarrhea [2]. This technology may be benefiting human beings by providing food for poor or by effective treatments but there are also several risks and ethical issues that are pending.

For instance, the long-term health risks are not researched. The mixing up of different species by creating transgenic combinations may have hidden risks. Xeno-transplantation of transgenic cells from flora and fauna to humans can cause diseases such as mad cow disease [2]. Conclusion The technological revolution in various fields has no doubt benefited a segment of population but it has also created a big gap. There is loss of biodiversity. More of villages are converted into congested cities were pollution is a serious issue.

Increased pollution from vehicles and industries are a cause for global warming and consequent climatic changes. There is a limit to which Mother Nature can support these changes, but when this limit is crossed, calamities are waiting for the entire humanity. The recent tsunami in Japan is a good example. It is important to have a balanced and sustainable approach to all technological fields of development. References [1] Passion Computing Pty Ltd. (2010) The Social Impact of Technology [Online].

Available: http://www.passioncomputing.com.au/articles/the-social-impact-of-technology.aspx [2] M.G. Linda (2004) Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering and Transgenics [Online]. Available: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/glenn.html