Our universe is full of planets that are unable to support life. Our planet is one of the lucky few that does. There is an anonymous quote that states “We are the architects of our own demise.” Technology may ultimately be the cause of our planets destruction. This presentation will look at some of the technologies that could destroys our world.

Introduction

There are many Technologies that are harmful to the environment and to those that inhabit it. A few examples are:

Technologies such as the automobile: most automobiles run purely on gasoline, diesel or petrol . All of the technologies that deal with the burning of fossil fuels contribute to the massive spike in pollution in recent years.

Coal fired power plants are a major contributor to air pollution as well as contamination of our lakes and river systems. Dangerous metals such as mercury are released from these plants which harms the creatures that inhabit the lakes and oceans.

Clean Energy that gets our world off of fossil fuels.Produces less CO2 then Coal or Natural Gas power

plants.Average Nuclear Power plant produces 20 metric

tons of radio active waste.Chernobyl and Fukushima-Daiichi  are two

examples of nuclear disasters that cost many people their lives and changed the balance of the countries.

This power can also be misused such as creating weapons of mass destruction and atomic bombs.

NuclearNuclear PowerPower

GlobalGlobal WarmingWarming

Temperature in the U.S. alone has increased by 0.86 Celsius

This is causing disturbances in ocean flow, causing severe weather storms

The Polar Icecaps are also melting at an alarming rateThis is causing ocean flows to break down

If this melting continues, their could be a rise of up to 11 meters in some areas

68.3% of the United States electricity generation is produced by fossil fuelsThis is releasing Greenhouse Gasses into the atmosphere, this includes:

Carbon DioxideMethaneNitrous OxideFluorinated gases

GlobalGlobal WarmingWarming

Weapons of Mass Destruction• There are an estimated 19,000 nuclear

devices in the world• 4,400 of which are operational• If all active nuclear weapons (4,200)

were launched:– Nuclear winter would occur for up to

one year– Billions of people will die– Survivors may become eradiated

• Cancers, and other diseases will become more common

• Food and water sources will become contaminated

Human life destroyed by Technology

Genetic engineering is a process in which recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology is used to introduce desirable traits into organisms.

Produces pesticide resistant plants.Animals can be larger.Long term health effects of genetically

modified foods are unknown. Creation of biological weapons such as

anthrax can wipe out humanity.

ConclusionAs a species we have the potential to do amazing things with the technology we create. As we develop newer and more sophisticated technologies we may in fact be the architects of our own demise. No one may know this fact better than J. Robert Oppenheimer the father of the atomic bomb. In an interview he quotes the Hindu Scripture Bhagavad-Gita; 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. So many technologies have the potential for good or for evil. We can only hope that technology will continue to be used to improve our world and not destroy it.

Gallery

Cadmium Metal

Presented By-

K.A.Roshan Thomas of 10th B from Gandhi House