Syed Iqbal Sultani
Many of the technologies we use every day consume a lot more resources and power than they need to, and using and manufacturing them can create a mess .Man plays an important role in ecology. Ecology is the science that attempts to answer the questions about how the nature works relationship between the organisms and their environment. Every organism has its own environment .Environment means surroundings in which a man plays acts, it encompasses the air he breaths, the food he eats and the shelter it provides against the elements .On the other hand technology seeks to fulfill the humans needs while causing the minimal ecological disruption by harnessing and manipulating natural forces to leverage their beneficial effects.
Technology disrupting ecology, clearing land where animals used to live to build factories and allowing pollution to contaminate food chain can greatly affect the environments natural cycles .There are three major negative impacts of technology on ecology first environmental pollution resulting from waste output is a resultant factor of technology. Contribution of global warming is second effect of technology, lastly depletion of natural resources and ecological imbalances experienced today results from technology. In the name of development we remove trees and vegetation, change how we use land and keep expanding paved areas .all these not affect the soil ecology, but also water balance. Increased urbanization also requires more water to feed the city’s population and industry, often requiring deeper and deeper wells to be drilled or water to be moved from even more distant locations. The fast pace of technological development has led to many unwanted results. Exotic species get destroyed faster than we can discover them. And ancient ecosystems are getting disturbed in our scientific explorations. Techno trash also called electronic waste or e-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic device and is currently the most rapidly growing type of waste.
If we just throw techno trash with a regular trash, it usually ends up in a landfill. Most electronics contain non bio-degradable materials overtime these toxic materials can leak into ground where they can contaminate the water we drink., the plants we eat, and the animals that live around the area Ecological balance is important because it leads to the continuous existence of the organisms .it ensures that no particular species is exploited or overused. But use of technology and related like industrialization and construction has led to the ecological imbalance by deforestation which in turn lead to the droughts . Droughts reduces the food production resulting in insufficient food production and starvation of organismis and finally to extinction of specie. Modern technology owes ecology an apology. . Sustainable development requires the implementation of environment friendly technologies which is both efficient and adapted to local conditions.Technology is as important as ecology .We need to go through eco-friendly technology as recycling or biodegradable content, plant based materials. Renewable energy, low impact manufacturing.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own [email protected])
