What is an example of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?

Technology refers to the application of scientific knowledge, tools, and techniques to solve practical problems, improve processes, and achieve specific goals more efficiently, which basically saves our time. Advancements in technology are important for us, but some advancements also affect our nature or environment.

See a similar article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology

So in this article, we’ll learn about “What is an example of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?” as well as “What is an example of new technology having a positive impact on sustainability?“

What is an example of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?

New technology, especially the proliferation of fast fashion made possible by digital and online platforms, could be a negative factor in promoting sustainability.

Fast fashion conveys the speedy manufacture of translating the current trends into nice, yet cheap clothes. While digital technology and online shopping have made it easier for consumers to access a wide variety of clothing at affordable prices, this has led to several sustainability challenges:

1. Overconsumption:

Online shopping is much more convenient and inexpensive than traditional shopping which can incite customers to buy unnecessarily more clothes. Fast fashion is the consequence and results in excessive consumption and low utilization that happens when trends go very quickly and clothes are dumped after being used for only some purposes.

2. Shortened Product Lifespan:

Cheap and quick-made fast fashion items apply low-cost materials and poor manufacturing techniques for many reasons. This consequently leads to a shorter lifespan of the clothing and increased risk of tearing, causing more frequent replacements and trash.

3. Environmental Impact of Production:

In fast fashion wasteful processes like massive water usage, chemical dying, and a lot of energy consumption are involved. Moreover, carbon emissions are generated during clothes transportation from the factories to storage centers and then to buyers’ doors due to climate change.

4. Waste Generation:

The fast fashion disposability adds to the situation since more and more fabrics end up in the trash can. A large number of clothing items end up in landfills meaning they can stay there for many years before decomposing, in the process, polluting the air with harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.

5. Social Impacts:

To meet the growing trend of fast and inexpensive fashion, laborers in garment-producing countries are frequently forced to work under deplorable conditions. They often endure low pay, long working hours, and insecure working environments.

Digital technology and e-commerce have not only made the clothing industry more accessible and affordable but at the same time it also increases the negative environmental and social impact of fast fashion. Responsible fashion movement incorporates the utilization of eco-friendly materials, ethical production methods, recycling plans, and enlightenment of consumers about the environmental and social drawbacks caused by fast fashion.

Additional examples of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?

Certainly, here are a few more examples of new technologies having negative impacts on sustainability:

1. Single-Use Plastics in Packaging:

Man-owned development in packaging technology involving single-use plastics such as food and beverage containers and other consumer goods is currently at work for dispensing these products. However, the one-time-use convenience and durability also result in plastic pollution when it is (being wrongfully disposed of already), bringing harm to marine life, contaminating ecosystems, and continuing to persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

2. Increased Energy Consumption from Data Centers:

The emergence of digital technologies such as cloud computing, streaming services, and social media has caused a dramatic rise in data centers’ number and space used for their needs. The enormous energy demands of such data centers result from the operations of servers, cooling systems, and other components, and are responsible for carbon emissions and environmental deterioration.

3. Electronic Waste (E-waste):

The continuous development of technology, and minimizing the cycle of electronic appliances, all feed electronic waste. There are components made up of toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium found in obsolete smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices. These substances can leach into consumable water bodies and the soil after improper disposal which is a health and environmental risk to human beings.

4. Energy-Intensive Cryptocurrency Mining:

Cryptomining which is generally tailored to Bitcoins and even other altcoins needs lots of computing power and energy which leads to the consumption of energy for the whole process. One of the reasons behind the growth of cryptocurrencies is related to their energy-intensive nature. It means that mining crypto involves a huge amount of electricity consumption, which is evident in the rising carbon emissions. Competing to solve complex mathematical puzzles, miners get rewarded for their efforts.

5. Bioprospecting and Biodiversity Loss:

Advances in biotechnology give access to genetic resources from various ecosystems for different medical, farming, and industrial purposes. Nevertheless, bioprospecting can negatively affect biodiversity and habitat because bioresource-rich plants and animals are exploited wildly, or are harvested without maintaining their sustainable yield practice, thus disrupting ecosystems and posing a serious threat to biodiversity.

6. Intensive Agriculture and Soil Degradation:

Agricultural technologies like mechanization and the twofold production of fertilizers and pesticides have revolutionized agriculture so much that maximum crop yields can be achieved and the food supply can be kept in pace with the growing global demand. Although the intensification of agricultural practices can deteriorate the soil, reduce the natural resource endowment, contaminate various water bodies with chemical run-offs, and exhaust forests, habitats, and biodiversity, it is still implying a cutback on important environmental components.

Though these innovations and technology among others are goal-oriented offering various benefits to society at large, conservative approaches to innovation and regulator oversights are key to mitigating environmental and social harms that disrupt the balance.

What is an example of new technology having a positive impact on sustainability?

To talk about only one example is the widespread usage of renewable resources like solar power, wind power, and hydropower. But, here I will explain various examples:

1. Electric Vehicles (EVs):

Electric-powered vehicles drink electricity from rechargeable batteries, which allows them to function without any emission of tailpipe gases into the air, thus lowering the fuel emission of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that transportation purposely produces. The progress made in EV technology has led to an increase in the car’s drive range, a reduction of the charging time, and a lowering of the cost of owning them, which consequently makes EVs an increasingly attractive option to environmentally friendly gasoline vehicles.

2. Energy-Efficient Buildings:

The construction of technologies for instance, energy-efficient insulations, and LED lighting systems with smart thermostats with passive solar designs achieve higher energy efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and lower greenhouse emissions in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Green building certifications and sectoral standards such as those documented under LEED and ENERGY STAR promote sustainable building practices and also the adoption of energy-efficient technologies.

3. Renewable Energy Microgrids:

Microgrids of renewable energies are made up of solar, wind, hydropower, and energy storage technologies that bring to the table the distributed and resilient utilization of electricity generation and distribution in communities that are far away from the grid or areas, where a grid is absent, industrial facilities and military establishments. Microgrids promote self-sufficiency in electricity, improve the functionality of the grid, and strengthen local economies, as well as helping to minimize carbon footprints while at the same time tackling climate change.

4. Precision Agriculture:

Local farming technologies, for instance, GPS guidance tractors, drones, sensors, and data analysis, together enhance the growth of crops, water utilization, and fertilization by farmers. Precision agriculture can be achieved due to soil health, weather conditions, and crop performance monitoring being done on a real-time basis inevitably leading to resource conservation, minimum environmental footprint, and higher crop yields and farmers profitability.

5. Circular Economy Solutions:

It is the goal of the circular economy to extend the service life of products through the reuse, recovery, and reprocessing of materials. This is done to minimize waste, strengthen economic development, and protect the environment. Innovation technologies that include 3D printing, material recovery facilities (MRFs), and new chemical recycling methods form closed loops where materials re-circulate inside the economy, saving virgin resources and minimizing the transfer of waste to landfills.

You may like this article: https://dgtalearth.com/how-ai-technology-end-poverty-in-2024/

Conclusion

So, Technology comes with benefits as well as some drawbacks. We should be aware of this both. We cannot stop the advancements of technology because technology has changed our lives drastically.

In this article, we learned about “What is an example of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?” as well as the positive impact on technology.

Advancement in Technology is important for everybody but advancement in technology by taking care of the environment is also equally important for us and nature.

We must promote using renewable resources and EVs, that is what we can do to our mother earth or environment and save our environment for future generations.

Drop your thoughts regarding “What is an example of new technology having a positive impact on sustainability?” and “What is an example of new technology having a negative impact on sustainability?”

FAQs