Technology can save us from an environmental catastrophe as it has done in the past. It can also cause unimaginable damage to the planet as we have seen time and again. What's important is how the technology is implemented in practice. Technology is essential to our 21st century world. Providing food, fresh water and shelter to the vast majority of people on the planet is a task that is just not possible without modern technology.
However, the methods we use to provide these essential services to people are wrecking the planet. This does not have to be the case, if technology was properly managed and sustainably implemented then you wouldn't see the level on unnatural desertification, fish stock decline, deforestation and climate change (and that just skims the surface. If these seemingly benign technologies are the origin of some of our biggest problems then it is terrifying to think about the repercussions of "luxury technologies" such as electronics, bio-engineering, vehicles etc...
The sheer amount of resources consumed to provide these goods, not to mention the slew of toxic chemicals created and the numerous other issues surrounding 21st century industry makes technology seem like an evil that needs to be purged. This is not necessarily the case. Technology has saved us from some serious problems in the past (i.e advances in medicine, crop production, transportation and energy). If developed wisely, with environmental and social justice a necessity, then it can lead into a sustainable, technologically advanced future. However I fear we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
We need technology, there are not enough people seriously willing to give up their current lifestyles. Developing efficient, low impact technologies is the best way to ensure that we will sustain the Earth's ecosystems. The unknown consequences and repercussions of these technologies may be just as bad as the problems they were designed to solve, unfortunately we have no other choice, we can only hope and advocate for oversight and good management.
No comments:
Post a Comment