Problems In A Technological-Centered World Calls for a Technological-Centered Solution

Technology is a positive force in human’s lives as we so clearly depend on it for our economic, social and physical well-being. Because of technology, there are a lot less people suffering from starvation, a lot more people with access to health care and a lot more people with longer life-spans. Technology could be seen as the savior of mankind if it wasn’t for the extreme environmental degradation it is causing to the world— everything from resource depletion to deterioration of the ozone layer. Due to the positive aspects technology brings to mankind, we cannot simply regress as social greens would like. If you simply cut back on production and technological advances, the world’s standard of living will go down, there will be more starvation, and the benefits will be lost. The only way to be proactive in a capitalist technological-centered world is to create technologies that are not as harmful to the environment.

Though green technology can help the world to tremendously cut back on environmental degradation, it will not be the cure. As Paul Wapner says in his article, Humility in Climate Change, the world needs to take ethical action and cut back on wasteful consumption and heighten their moral compass, understanding that “individuals are not at the center of the universe but simply occupy a distinct order in the place of things.” I believe that technologies should be created with this moral sensitivity, always understanding that the environment is not ours for the taking.

I am not hailing technology and bowing to its knees as I know with new technologies comes new side effects, as damage can be transferred from one area of environmental degradation to another. However, I believe in most cases the benefits from green technology are much greater than their side effects. Regardless of technologies downfalls, we live in a world dependent on it, and this will never change. Human beings have been inventing and progressing since the stone age and I don’t believe they will stop now. The only way to move forward towards a healthier world is through green technology and changing people’s moral compass.