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Chapter 13
Environment and Development
13.1 IMPACTS OF TECHNOLOGY
Since the era of the hunter-collector society, man’s technological inventions have been changing his life drastically and have usually caused some
amount of environmental degradation. After the invention of the steam
engine, technology developed at a rapid rate that has been accelerating since
then. Humans have acquired the power to change the environment and to
improve their standard of life. In technologically advanced countries, the
problems of nutrition, housing etc. have been dealt with to a great extent;
man is effectively protected against extreme temperatures, floods, earthquakes and other adverse natural phenomena. Water treatment technology
has almost eliminated typhus, cholera and other infectious disease epidemics that were once a scourge for human communities; vaccines have likewise
eliminated many serious illnesses. Working hours have been reduced and
the resulting increased free time and modern means of communication have
opened possibilities to the human population for understanding the world,
cultivation of the mind, travelling and communication. Abundance in developed countries has blunted previous economic and social inequalities in
relation to access to consumer goods.
However, technological development has adverse side effects as well,
which have become more widely recognized. For example, agricultural
performance has increased through the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, but many surface and underground waters as well as trophic
chains became polluted. Industries produce a variety of foodstuffs and
other products for comfort and recreation, but many of the by-products
of these items pollute the atmosphere, water bodies and the ground, with
consequences that affect human health, the function of ecosystems, the
climate and the aesthetic value of the environment. Cars and airplanes
offer great possibilities for fast movement, and heating and cooling facilities make living and work more comfortable, but their combustion directly
or indirectly pollute the atmosphere. The contribution of electric power to
the quality of life is important, but power stations, both thermoelectric
DOI: 10.1201/b14609-13
Chapter 13
Environment and Development
13.1 IMPACTS OF TECHNOLOGY
Since the era of the hunter-collector society, man’s technological inventions have been changing his life drastically and have usually caused some
amount of environmental degradation. After the invention of the steam
engine, technology developed at a rapid rate that has been accelerating since
then. Humans have acquired the power to change the environment and to
improve their standard of life. In technologically advanced countries, the
problems of nutrition, housing etc. have been dealt with to a great extent;
man is effectively protected against extreme temperatures, floods, earthquakes and other adverse natural phenomena. Water treatment technology
has almost eliminated typhus, cholera and other infectious disease epidemics that were once a scourge for human communities; vaccines have likewise
eliminated many serious illnesses. Working hours have been reduced and
the resulting increased free time and modern means of communication have
opened possibilities to the human population for understanding the world,
cultivation of the mind, travelling and communication. Abundance in developed countries has blunted previous economic and social inequalities in
relation to access to consumer goods.
However, technological development has adverse side effects as well,
which have become more widely recognized. For example, agricultural
performance has increased through the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, but many surface and underground waters as well as trophic
chains became polluted. Industries produce a variety of foodstuffs and
other products for comfort and recreation, but many of the by-products
of these items pollute the atmosphere, water bodies and the ground, with
consequences that affect human health, the function of ecosystems, the
climate and the aesthetic value of the environment. Cars and airplanes
offer great possibilities for fast movement, and heating and cooling facilities make living and work more comfortable, but their combustion directly
or indirectly pollute the atmosphere. The contribution of electric power to
the quality of life is important, but power stations, both thermoelectric
DOI: 10.1201/b14609-13