Threats of Advancing Technology to the Global Environment

Threats of Advancing Technology to the Global Environment

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Do advancements in technology pose any direct and/or indirect threats to the global environment?

Advancement in technology do pose an indirect threat to the global environment. As a part of the planet advances in technology, most parts of the world is left behind and the gap keeps widening through the adoption of constantly advancing technologies. The perfect example is the rise of computers and computer embedded system. By nature, the devices are expensive and out of reach of most people in developing countries. As technology advances, these people get left behind and the gap constantly widens (Clapp & Dauvergne, 2011). They are bound to be alienated and feel left out in the global progress.

In an effort to bring the developing countries up to bar with hanging technology, most companies sell off their old or broken items to these offshore countries at a much lower price and they end up being e-waste. Though some of these older gadgets gets a chance for a second life, most of them do not last longer or arrive broken and end up unattended in open places as disposal isnt effective in these destination countries. Electronics are made of harmful materials and over time as they degrade, they pose a threat to their health to people in these countries. The good intentions of developed countries to keep developing countries closer to where technology is currently is causing them indirect threat to health a few years down the line.

Another indirect impact posed by the every changing and advancing technologies to developing nations is cyber security. It is a known fact that aging hardware are more prone to cyber security attacks as companies do not support them, software-wise, for an infinite amount of time. This leaves them vulnerable to attacks from hackers who will want to take advantage of them.

From these two examples, it is evident that advancing technology do pose an indirect threat to the global environment. Despite this, measures can be taken to mitigate these indirect effects. Companies can offer low cost and modern solutions to people from developing countries though they might not be as profitable as in other countries. Efficient recycling and disposal can also be a solution in averting health risks (Werther Jr et al, 2010).

Reference

Clapp, J., & Dauvergne, P. (2011). Paths to a green world: The political economy of the global

environment. MIT press.

Werther Jr, W. B., & Chandler, D. (2010). Strategic corporate social responsibility:

Stakeholders in a global environment. Sage.