Homework 2 Environmental issues

Unit 5 Impacts of digital technology

Name:............................................................................ Class:................... Mark:................

Remember that the quality of written communication is assessed in examinations in questions

marked with an asterisk (*).

1. Explain two potential issues to the environment when a new computer is purchased,
and the old computer is disposed of.
Issue 1:
When old computer is disposed of most of the time it ends up in a landfill and are not recycled
so heavy metals contaminate the soil

Issue 2:
When a new computer is purchased it will usually use non renewable metals which are mined
and cause environmental pollution and destruction

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Homework 2 Environmental issues
Unit 5 Impacts of digital technology

2.* A company has produced a security update for their software that is designed for a
computer that was produced in the last three years. Although it will work on older
computers, it will run slower than the original software.
Discuss the impact of the software upgrade.
In your answer, you might consider the impact on:
 The users
 Cultural issues
 Ethical issues
 Environmental issues

This will make the users computer slower and reduce the performance of his computer this
may affect him doing his work or whatever task he uses his computer to do which will. This
can cause him to feel negative emotions towards his computer. This may force him to spend
extra money to be a new faster computer with better performance.
This is ethically incorrect as the software update unnecessarily causes the user to feel
negative emotions and can cause them to spend money which may be valuable to them

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Homework 2 Environmental issues
Unit 5 Impacts of digital technology

3.*In the future, lorries are likely to be self-driving.

Discuss the impact of self-driving lorries.
In your answer, you might consider the impact on:
 Lorry drivers
 Cultural issues
 Ethical issues
 Environmental issues

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Homework 2 Environmental issues
Unit 5 Impacts of digital technology

[Total 20 marks]