Technology and Our Future

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Environmental Pollution
3. Nuclear Weapons
4. Genetic Engineering
5. Nanotechnology
6. Conclusion

1. Introduction
The universe was born about fifteen billion years ago through a massive explosion known as the Big Bang. However, human beings were created much later, around forty thousand years ago. In this context, humans are truly a young species. Yet, this young species has, through intelligence alone, transformed from cave dwellers into modern humans in a remarkably short time. Once, humans gazed in wonder at birds flying in the sky; now, thanks to intelligence, we can soar through those very skies. The moon, which once mesmerized us from afar, has felt the imprint of our footsteps. Today, our words can cross the seven seas and thirteen rivers in an instant. The entire world is now at our fingertips through the internet. All of this has been achieved by the power of our intellect. Everywhere we look, it’s a victory of human intelligence. No other species can compete with humans in this intellectual struggle, and naturally, this is something we take pride in. It is through this intelligence that we discovered science, which has fueled our continual innovation and the creation of new technologies. We discard old technologies for newer ones and now live more securely, relying on technology to solve all problems. Fossil fuels are running out? No worries—renewable energy technology is on its way. Soon, nanotechnology will usher us into a real world of science fiction. These thoughts are certainly pleasant—almost as if we are living in a dream world. But is it truly so? Beside every good, there is always the bad; technology is no exception. Because of the negative use of technology, questions arise about the fate of the world’s most intelligent species. The future is always uncertain and mysterious. While nothing definite can be said about the future, let’s try to glimpse what our future might hold.

2. Environmental Pollution
We are all at least somewhat familiar with the greenhouse effect. Despite its benign-sounding name, the issue has long ceased to be just a matter of concern and has become a true headache. To improve our quality of life, scientists and technologists have invented many technologies, including the greenhouse itself—a glass house used in cold countries to protect plants from frost. However, humanity has slowly turned the entire planet into a greenhouse. The black smoke from factories and the use of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, etc.) are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases in the atmosphere. Together, these gases form a glass-like, impenetrable layer around our green planet. The sun is our main energy source. Due to their shorter wavelengths, sunlight rays penetrate this layer easily and reach Earth. Plants and animals absorb this light energy as heat, and the remaining energy is radiated back as heat from the Earth’s surface; however, this heat, having a longer wavelength, cannot escape through the layer. As a result, the heat remains trapped on Earth, causing global temperatures to rise—a phenomenon known as global warming. Swedish scientist Arrhenius raised this issue back in 1896, but only in recent decades have people begun to seriously consider it. Now, scientists fear that by the end of this century, the world’s temperature may have increased by up to 4 degrees Celsius. Global warming is having such a negative impact on the climate that the world’s poorest countries will suffer the most. The primary cause of global warming is the excessive use of fossil fuels, with the world’s wealthy, industrialized nations being the most responsible. These countries emit the largest amounts of greenhouse gases, and the consequences will be suffered by everyone. Melting ice is one result of global warming, leading to devastating climate effects—a rise in sea level, increased storms, rainfall, droughts, and other natural disasters. A recent UN report states that people living in delta regions are most at risk. The effects can already be seen in these places: chronic floods, droughts, and other disasters have severely impacted crop production in these areas. People have now become much more aware of the need to combat global warming. In 1992, the World Earth Summit was held for the first time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the participation of 172 countries to make the Earth habitable by avoiding environmental pollution. In December 1997, the United Nations Climate Change Convention signed a historic agreement in Kyoto, Japan, known as the Kyoto Protocol, to reduce the emissions of six harmful gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Sadly, despite these efforts, the emission of greenhouse gases has not decreased significantly—in some industrial countries it has even increased. At the end of 2006, former World Bank economist Sir Nicholas Stern published a 700-page report on international climate change. In it, he stated that if global warming continues at this rate, the results will be even more catastrophic than World War II or the Great Depression of the 1930s!

Another severe aspect of environmental pollution is the depletion of the ozone layer. Located 20 to 30 kilometers above the Earth, the ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. But it’s thinning—for example, there’s a large hole in the ozone layer above the South Pole, allowing ultraviolet rays to reach Earth unimpeded. The result: increased skin cancer, weakened immune systems, and stunted plant growth. The main chemical responsible is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs reach the ozone layer and break ozone apart, creating oxygen. The widespread use of CFCs in refrigeration and chemical industries has brought us to this point, though alternatives and restrictions have been developed in recent years.

The technological revolution continually changes our lifestyles, with a large role played by chemical technology. The foundation of many industries relies on various types of chemical technologies that create everyday necessities. While chemical technology adds a new dimension to life, it’s also pushing our green Earth toward destruction. Before 1945, people paid little attention to environmental pollution from industries, and almost no preventive measures were in place. Awareness grew slowly, mainly among researchers and scientists, eventually leading to some pollution-control measures, though these were largely ineffective. Major industrial accidents like Japan’s Minamata (1950s) or the Bhopal tragedy in India (1980s) questioned environmental safety in chemical plants. Today, chemists talk of using environmentally-friendly “green chemistry,” but how effectively this is being implemented is still unclear. Most ordinary people blame industrial chemical waste for environmental pollution. While many countries have environmental laws, enforcement is lacking, resulting in hazardous waste being dumped directly into the environment. Scientists warn that marine species will face extinction within four decades due to waste being dumped into the sea.

Now let’s briefly look at another aspect of pollution—electronic waste (e-waste). There is growing discussion about old and discarded computers, televisions, mobile phones, MP3 players, and other gadgets. Nowadays, the market for technology products is evolving rapidly—today it’s dual core, tomorrow it’s Core 2 Duo. Naturally, no one wants to miss out on the latest tech. But what happens to your old device after you upgrade? Old gadgets can barely find buyers, or, if they do, get sold for almost nothing. So, many owners simply toss them in the trash as ordinary waste. In richer countries, this is routine, even if not yet in poorer countries. However, it has become a curse for the people of poor nations, as e-waste is exported there and poisons local environments with cadmium, cobalt, chromium, lead, copper, and other toxins. Locals suffer from cancer, breathing problems, kidney and liver diseases, and most affected are children, whose development is stunted by these toxins. Several poor countries have become dumping grounds for the world’s e-waste, such as Nigeria, where mountains of technology scrap arrive from countries like the USA, Canada, and the UK, most of them unusable. The local environment is suffering terribly. A recent UN report says that soon global e-waste production will exceed 40 million tons annually. While researchers have proposed processes to recycle such products, these are not popular, as refurbishing can be more expensive than manufacturing new ones. Thus, the sheer speed of technological innovation is overwhelming the environment, with the amount and impact of e-waste increasing daily. If this continues, the future will certainly be grave.

Environmental pollution is a universal problem. Conferences, seminars, and pacts are being held to prevent pollution, and scientists advocate for eco-friendly alternative technologies. But how much can we really depend on these? The world’s poor can’t afford to regularly upgrade their gadgetry. As a result, our future is becoming increasingly uncertain, and wealthy nations bear much of the blame. Still, no country is immune from the negative impacts of pollution. If we are to survive, maintaining environmental balance is essential—otherwise, our extinction is not impossible.

3. Nuclear Weapons
A while ago, I was reading Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal’s book “Ektukhani Biggyan” (“A Bit of Science”). There, I came across a line: “The civilization of intelligent species is very short-lived. They are born, but before they even comprehend much, they destroy themselves!” These are the words of Italian scientist Enrico Fermi—the discoverer of nuclear chain reaction and creator of the world’s first nuclear reactor. The principle he discovered made possible the creation of civilization-destroying nuclear weapons. Regrettably, rather than serving humanity, the brains of a few exceptionally gifted people have been used to develop these instruments of mass destruction. The amount of nuclear weapons in the world today could destroy the entire planet in mere seconds! The devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is just a tiny example of this horror. On July 31, 1945, US President Truman gave the final order to bomb Hiroshima, and on August 6 at 8:15 am, the atomic bomb was dropped. As people were dying in Hiroshima, Truman was returning home by ship from Europe. On hearing the news of the bombing, he was thrilled and told those around him that the greatest event in history had just occurred… then watched a comedy and laughed heartily. In truth, the weapons capable of destroying the world are in the hands of a handful of mentally deranged people, and our future is now hostage to them!

4. Genetic Engineering

As I said before, people in the twenty-first century are much more aware. Even so, it’s disappointing that population growth remains very high in many countries. The current population of the planet exceeds six billion. The poor nations—the so-called Third World—are most responsible for this increase. In these countries, impoverished and uneducated people have large families without much thought. The first thing every human needs to survive is food. But where will the food for all these extra people come from? Moreover, much of the crop yield is lost to pests. Then, there are always natural disasters. Humanity has managed to fight pests with various pesticides and increase soil fertility with fertilizers. But these pesticides have started killing not only harmful pests but also beneficial organisms, disrupting Earth’s biodiversity. Some pesticides mix in air and water and grievously damage the environment—the best example being DDT (para-para-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). In addition, crops often cannot absorb as much nutrients from the soil because of competition from weeds. Scientists therefore started thinking differently and developed genetically modified (GM) crops. Now, the crops themselves fight pests and weeds. Through genetic engineering, GM crops are given genes that allow them to destroy pests and weeds on their own. The proteins produced by these genes can be toxic to insects and weeds. Even before this technology was fully understood, multiple accusations were raised—just like pesticides, GM crops threaten not just harmful but also harmless organisms. In 1999, British researchers stated that pollen from GM corn disrupted the normal life and growth of the Monarch butterfly. There are also concerns that GM crops affect other plants and debate surrounds the safety of GM foods. Another major criticism is that only a handful of multinational companies will benefit, since farmers cannot save seeds from GM crops as they do with conventional seeds, and will have to buy new seeds for each sowing—directly from these corporations, the originators of the crop. Thus, farmers are at a disadvantage. Environmentalists have protested against GM crops in many places. The companies producing GM seeds insist they are safe, but public anxiety remains. Several countries, including Hungary, Venezuela, and Argentina, have banned GM crops. Stephen Hawking, the ‘Einstein of our era’, once said about genetic engineering: “Whether we like it or not, genetic engineering will be the most influential technology of the 21st century.” No matter how many controversies surround GM crops, considering the skyrocketing global population, we may one day have to rely on them to solve food shortages. Therefore, raising awareness and thoroughly understanding the pros and cons of any GM product before use is crucial. Otherwise, we may end up unwittingly surrendering ourselves entirely to a few multinational corporations.

Another much-discussed aspect of genetic engineering is cloning. In 1996, at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, a sheep named Dolly was born. News of Dolly’s birth reached the public in February 1997—seven months later. The news took the world by storm, because Dolly’s birth did not follow the natural reproductive process, but rather cloning—a method where an entire animal can be produced from an adult somatic cell, resulting in a new organism identical to the donor. Dolly was cloned from a six-year-old ewe. After Dolly, scientists successfully cloned other animals. Experts believe that through human cloning, any human organ could be manufactured from an individual’s cells, and stem cell research could cure diseases like heart disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Despite these bright promises, people remain unconvinced, particularly fearing the prospects and outcome of human cloning. There have even been rumors of successful human cloning, though no concrete proof. Even if it has happened, nothing is surprising anymore—after all, so much is now possible, and cloning itself is proof of that. Worries about human cloning are certainly not baseless. Not to mention ethical or religious questions—if there are people who can murder thousands and then enjoy a comedy, how can we be sure they wouldn’t use human cloning technology for evil purposes?

5. Nanotechnology

One of the most talked-about technologies of our time is nanotechnology, a field where all research is conducted on the nanoscale. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter; nanotechnology typically deals with objects from 1 to 100 nanometers in size. Researchers worldwide are striving to apply nanotechnology in every branch of science and technology. Scientists hope that nanotechnology will revolutionize the world, especially in the computer industry, boosting speed and increasing hard drive capacity. We are already beginning to enjoy these benefits. Nanotechnology will create new composite materials and fibers that will revolutionize construction. Although it sounds like science fiction, the day may come when nanorobots perform complex surgeries inside the human body. Through nanotechnology, humans may even become masters of nature. That’s the optimistic view. However, the frightening reality is that some countries, under the pretense of defense, are trying to develop autonomous nano-nuclear missiles and other terrifying weapons capable of wiping out humanity. Furthermore, nanoparticles could be released into the atmosphere during nanotechnology research, causing severe environmental harm.

6. Conclusion        

Every technology has its drawbacks, and always will. After all, technology is a human invention, so we can’t blame technology alone. Where we are today is due largely to technology, and that’s an undeniable fact. New technologies will keep coming, and to keep up with the times, we have to adapt. It is typically the world’s poor who suffer the most from the negative aspects of technology, though the wealthy nations aren’t completely safe either. Ultimately, our very existence is growing increasingly uncertain. As people of the twenty-first century, we must be even more aware and cautious. Before adopting any new technology, we must consider whether it is environmentally friendly. We must also ensure that technology does not fall into the hands of disturbed individuals and go astray. But what can we do if that happens? Our future—our world—seems helpless in the hands of a few people and a handful of powerful nations…    

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