Technology has changed the world is so many positive ways. We can pick up the phone and call anywhere, anytime. We can travel on land, in the air, and even into space. We can identify someone using a simple drop of blood using DNA. How can something with such positive effects also have such profound negative ones? According to the textbook, Society and Technological Change, the most obvious and longest lasting consequence of technological advance is the alteration and destruction of the natural environment (Volti, 88).
If each generation continues to destroy our environment, what happens when we get to the point of not having one? How are future generations supposed to breathe without air and trees? A Native American proverb says, “Man did not inherit the earth. He merely borrowed it from his grandchildren”. This says to me that we need to save our earth so that our grandchildren have a chance to swim, climb trees, and enjoy the wonderful gift that we have “borrowed”.
One way that we can do this is to conserve our natural resources. Volti states that even though the United States is less than 5% of the world’s population, it uses more than 30% of the world’s resources (Society and Technological Change, 88).While the three fossil fuels, petroleum, coal, and natural gas, give us enormous amounts of energy; the excessive use of them greatly alters the environment. National Environmental Trust reports that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. The burning of these fusels increases the amount of green hose gas levels in the atmosphere. These gases actually change the atmosphere and warm the earth. Other impacts of global warming are droughts, floods, warmer ocean temperatures, and rising sea levels, an increase in severe weather, melting of glaciers, dying coral reefs, and coastal erosion.
The Essay on Change the World
If I could change the world, how would I change it? Of course, I must first decide what I want to change and what into. Afterwards, I must think of a way on how to achieve that change. As a young individual, I think that the best way to change the world is rather than doing anything too big, I just have to make it a priority to go out of my way in small amounts to bring that world about. Everybody ...
One way to stop the progress of global warming is using alternative energy sources. nuclear energy is one option. Although according to the textbook, Society and Technological Change, nuclear energy has many drawbacks due to the problems it actually creates. Problems listed include transportation, manufacturing equipment, building and maintaining plants, and disposal of waste. Another problem is that nuclear energy plants use uranium to make fuel. If the currently under construction plants are added to the number of plants that are already operating, the supply of uranium will be exhausted in one hundred years (Volti, 96).
Other options are solar energy, wind power, biomass or plants and other organic sources, and ethanol (Volti, 98).
The US Department of Energy also lists alternative fuel sources for vehicles. Methanol, propane, hydrogen, and electricity are just a few of the options available. The federal government and many states offer incentives to consumers who purchase vehicles which use these alternatives such as tax breaks (Alternative Fuels Data Center).
Destruction of our environment also occurs due to pollution and depletion. Pollution occurs when the air, soil, or water is contaminated by the discharge of harmful substances (National Pollution Prevention Roundtable).
When factories, cars, or other sources add smoke to the air, they also add gases such as sulfur dioxide and disrupt the natural air cycle. Breathing polluted air causes illnesses especially to children, the elderly, and those with already existing respiratory problems. air pollution also damages crops and kills trees (Earth Justice).
The Essay on Horrendous Pollution of the Planet Earth
Horrendous pollution of the planet Earth As the humanity stepping into the 21st Century, technology and industry is playing an essential role in human overall development. They are transferring our world in an astonishing way from the usage of fossil fuels to the appliance of chemical fertilizer to the development of vehicles. However, no one can deny that the environmental pollution resulted from ...
Water is another commonly polluted natural resource. When factories discharge waste products into rivers or people dump trash or oil into streams, water becomes contaminated. When the water is consumed by people, they get sick. Fish and other wildlife may also be affected (Earth Justice).
Society as a whole needs to take care of our air and water so that others who come after us can enjoy them.
Depletion is another cause of destruction of our environment. If we deplete something, it is gone forever! Cutting down forests not only destroys trees, but all of the wildlife that lives in them. Destroying a species does more than cause extinction. For example, killing all of the frog species could cause insect population to soar since frogs eat them and keep them under control. To combat the over abundance of insects, we would need to use chemicals which would lead to more air pollution (Earth Justice).
Poet Nancy Newhall wrote, “the wilderness holds answers to more questions than we yet know to ask” (Earth Justice).
We should allow our grandchildren the opportunity to ask the questions that we have yet to ask!
Works Cited
1. Earth Justice. 13 June 2005.
http://www.earthjustice.org/program/
2. “EPAact Alternative Fuels”. U.S. Department of Energy-Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 15 December 2004. 13 June 2005.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/epact_fuels.shtml?print
3. “Global Warming”. National Environmental Trust. 2005. 13 June 2005.
http://environet.policy.net/warming/
4. “State and Federal Incentives and Laws”. U.S. Department of Energy-
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 8 June 2005. 13 June 2005.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/laws/icen_laws.html?print
5. Volti, Rudi. Society and Technological Change. Alan McClare. Fourth Edition. New York, 2001. Worth Publishers.
6. “What is Pollution Prevention?” Home Page. National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. 2002. 13 June 13 2005.
http://www.p2.org/about/nppr_p2.cfm
