Climate Change: The Impact of Technology

The rate of change since the mid -20th century is unprecedented over millennia -> Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. It's been scientifically proven that majority of such climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth's orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives. 

                 The current warming trend is entirely different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia. It is undeniable that human activities have produced the atmospheric gases that have trapped more of the Sun’s energy in the Earth system. This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred.

According to NOAA's 2023 Annual Climate Report the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.11° Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F in total. The rate of warming since 1982 is more than three times as fast: 0.36° F (0.20° C) per decade.

The uncontrolled development of technologies has inevitably affected all spheres of humans’ lives, bringing benefits and enhancing commodities to the extent that could not have been imagined several decades ago.

Although advancing the technologies are utmost significant technological extravagant has holded the Earth very badly and turning it to the worsen. Other living species are cursing humans as we have taken up their shelter, food, etc. The fact is that many technogical innovations help people to deal with one of the greatest threats of the new millennium: climate change. Specifically, there is the potential of technologies’ positive effect on carbon emission due to causing its reduction. New innovations and replacements of many outdated procedures are welcoming and environment friendly like digitalization, online transformations in health care, etc. At the same time, it is crucial to consider the economic outcomes of technologies in relation to climate change. Overall, specialists and researchers in the field of climate change single out both positive and negative ways technology can influence the future of the planet. Whereas new technologies help to track climate change and allow finding solutions to dangerous emissions, the excessive presence of automation in people’s lives can lead to adverse outcomes

What are the negative effects of the relationship between environment and technology

Although society’s new mindset is aware of the need to veto countless past actions for the benefit of the environment, there are still some negative impacts that the technology sector must ameliorate. These are some of them: 

• Consumption of natural resources. The production of electronic devices coupled with programmed obsolescence (which is already being fought against) and the development of increasingly powerful infrastructures require a large amount of natural resources, such as the extraction of minerals, metals and fossil fuels. This leads to significant environmental impacts, such as deforestation, soil degradation and water pollution.
• Generation of electronic waste. The rapid obsolescence of technology and the constant supply of new products generate a large amount of waste. These devices contain toxic substances, such as lead, mercury and arsenic, which can leach into the subsoil and affect water if not properly managed. In addition, improper dismantling can release hazardous substances and pose a health risk.
• Greenhouse gas emissions. It is not just production. The energy needed to power servers, data centres and devices favours the emission of greenhouse gases, something that has already been seen in cases such as cryptocurrency mining. These emissions contribute to global warming.
• Air and water pollution. The lack of proper management of e-waste, including the manufacture of electronic components, often involves intensive industrial processes that emit pollutants into the air and water. These pollutants can have negative effects on air and water quality, as well as on health and species survival.

Can technology protect the environment?

The answer is yes. Alongside the environmental challenges mentioned above, technology and digitalisation have also become powerful allies in the fight to protect the planet. Every day, innovative applications emerge that help preserve and restore nature, and pursue different objectives. These are some of them: 

Renewable energies. They have become a key element in the protection of the environment and the transition to a sustainable future. They come from unlimited natural sources, such as solar radiation, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric energy. Nor does their exploitation produce hazardous waste. In general, they contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. In this sense, the use of new technologies favours their use, to the detriment of fossil fuels, in scenarios such as sustainable mobility in cities or real consumption in intelligent buildings, based on exact demand and in real time. 

Waste management. This involves the collection, treatment, recycling and appropriate final disposal of waste generated by human activities. One of its main strategies is source reduction, through practices such as adopting responsible consumption habits. The recycling industry is another key component of waste management. Recycling reduces the need to extract new raw materials or manufacture new materials and consumes less energy. Technology plays a key role here. On the one hand, it enables the implementation of innovative solutions, such as the development of automated sorting and waste separation systems. Similarly, the implementation of sensors and tracking technologies enables more precise monitoring of waste streams. On the other hand, it stimulates research into new materials.

Efficient management of natural resources. This is essential to ensure long-term sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of our activities. It consists of using natural resources responsibly, optimising their consumption, reusing and minimising waste. The Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensors make it possible to monitor and control the consumption of water, energy and other resources. This optimises their use and reduces waste. Likewise, the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in agriculture or forestry, for example, minimises the use of pesticides and fertilisers and maximises crop yields.

Conclusion:- 

In the question of technology’s impact on climate change, one cannot draw a clear line between the benefits and limitations of such an effect. Undoubtedly, the evolution of automation and technological devices enables researchers to track the levels of dangerous emissions and find ways of decreasing them. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the simplification of labor in many spheres causes excessive consumption and additional emissions, which are unfavorable for the environment. While new technologies help to control emission rates, they also contribute to the growth of these rates. Therefore, innovation should be embraced with caution in order to use its benefits for the planet’s welfare and minimize the imitations that can harm the environment.