technological developments are causing environmental problems

Since the Industrial Revolution was initiated in the late 18th century, science and technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. Our world and our life have both changed tremendously. However, environmental problems have also occurred in their wake.

Our global environment has been severely affected and even damaged as a result of the increasing industrialisation of the world and the pursuit of and use of modern technology. Life has also become increasingly mechanised. There are some people who claim that a simpler life is more preferable as it is less dependent upon fashionable devices and less in the grip of those so-called modern technologies. The more machines are used, the more damage is caused to the environment.

The damage to the environment by scientific and technological developments can only be addressed, if not improved, by the continuous advancement of science and technology. For example, the latest environment-friendly farming methods use less land but produce a higher crop yield. People are now living a much more comfortable and healthier life than at any time in history. Yet there are still many problems for science as well as technology to find a solution to. One of the biggest challenges is what alternative energy sources can be found and utilised to replace the limited and dwindling supply of fossil fuels.

In the process of developing science and technology for human civilisation from industrialisation to computerisation to today’s digitalisation, problems that are not friendly to the environment have appeared. However, the main purpose of technological innovation and creation is to make human life better and safer, and to return to a life without this technology on which we have generally become so dependent is, I feel, impractical and, furthermore, impossible.

I believe that the wheel of science and technology will, and should, continue to roll on, and thanks to our ingenuity, new inventions will be created to overcome the current problems that have proved so detrimental to our environment.(325 words)