Today’s modern technology has entirely changed the world. From faster transportation with trains and cars to effective communication with electronics, technology is used everywhere. Nonetheless, the benefits of technology come with many adverse environmental impacts. In our technology-driven world, it is vital, now more than ever, for us to recognize and mitigate the harm caused by technology.
As technology continues to advance, a myriad of innovations are being introduced. These innovations require more energy to function, resulting in excessive power consumption (1). Most of the energy generation comes from fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels undoubtedly play an imperative role in providing energy for machines and devices to run. However, this comes with a cost: fossil fuels are the greatest contributors to global warming. Due to the increased number of technologies in demand, fossil fuels are being used more and worsening global warming.
Besides the increased use of energy fossil fuels entails, it is also hard to dispose of. Once technology becomes obsolete, it is discarded as electronic waste, otherwise known as e-waste. Many countries are unable to dispose of e-waste appropriately as they lack the facilities to do so. Consequently, e-waste is usually burned. E-waste burning enhances the amount of air pollutants which further worsens global warming (2). Additionally, unsafe handling of e-waste exposes us to toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic which may result in incurable health diseases like cancer (3).
In order to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the earth for future generations, we must all first be aware of the substantial power consumption needed for technology and e-waste. The repercussions of modern technology may seem negligible now but we must try our best to alleviate the problems it causes before they worsen.
Bibliography:
Popp, David C. “The Effect of New Technology on Energy Consumption.” Resource and Energy Economics, vol. 23, no. 3, 2001, pp. 215–239, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0928-7655(00)00045-2.
Halim, L., and Y. Suharyanti. “E-Waste: Current Research and Future Perspective on Developing Countries.” International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, vol. 1, no. 2, 2019, pp. 25–42, https://doi.org/10.24002/ijieem.v1i2.3214.
“Cleaning Up Electronic Waste (E-Waste).” EPA, www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/cleaning-electronic-waste-e-waste. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.