Is the technology increasing the environmental degradation?

Is the technology increasing the environmental degradation?

The technology itself is not a cause of environment degradation. Some scholars affirm that the technology began in the Neolithic; when the humans start to use natural resources as tools. Since that moment the environment is transform by the man using the technology. Today, there are different kinds of technology who not just makeeasier the life, but also helped the preservation of the environment, like the case of internet, and alternative energy.

Internet is the most popular resource of information; at least 6,574,666,417 of people in the world have access to internet. (Internet World State: 2007)

For this reason, pages as Google allow the people to have enough access to pages with all kind of topics; one of them isthe environment. For example if it is written the word “environment” in Google the search results are of approximately 474.000.000 sites. It is including news paper pages, and environmental movement sites.

The environmental movement in the latest years is growing; since the people began to be conscious of environment degradation. Through internet is possible to be an environment activist. Inpages such as Greenpeace it is possible to have access to news and reports. You can register in different campaigns, such as the preservation of whales, the Para wood in Brazil, and the protest against the transgenic crop.

In the same way, the invention of internet and others technologies have reduce the use of paper. In the past the information was transfer with paper, using letters andtelegrams. Now with the messenger and e-mails all the information is send through the internet; including in the companies where the memorandums (who used to be send in paper) are now send trough the web.

Also, at this time, the accounts administration is done by internet or telephone, and the same case happens with all of the administrative processing. For instance the Spain Company Telefonica is aleader of a campaign in order to make conscience in the people about the unnecessary use of paper; therefore since June of 2002 they start the use of e-invoice; consequently it makes unnecessary the printed invoice.

Furthermore, in other times, the education of people who didn’t go to universities or schools was made by correspondence. Today, that is replaced by studies on line. Now the newspeppers, books, magazines, and other type of publications are all on the internet. Also, most libraries have internet sites, and you can read everything in the computer. Technology is no affecting the environment. Otherwise, internet alleviates the use of paper

Energy

Today the energy moves the world. From the computer used in New York to stock exchange, and Disney rollercoaster, to a fan usedin Jamaica or a cell phone in Argentina; all needs the energy to work.

The traditional methods for generate energy causes several damage in the environment; for example, a plant of fossil fuel produce 3700 000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human cause of global warming, and 10,000 tons of sulphur dioxide (SO2) (Union of Concerned Scientist: 2005), the leading cause of acid rain,in the same way for create a dam they have to flood the place, an that affected the species of this zone, and the environment balance. For this reason was developed the alternative energy: the solar power, wind power energy and the wave power.

Wind power

This energy uses the wind for the rotation to propel the blades wind turbines which makes the rotation of magnets that create theelectricity.

Wind power has a strong acceptation principally in Europe because it is competitive and do not generate pollution; the Marachon y Luzon (Spain) wind power park avoid the emission 430000 tons of CO2 and the consumption of 100000 tons of petroleum. (Habjanec:2006)

Also, it is not expensive, the mill Life span range form 25 and 30 years, and it is a renewably energy.

On the other...