SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND SOCIETY
STS 108

LORDLY A. LUMAYAG- FRANCISCO

Instructor
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Issues Arising from Scientific and
Technological Progress

While scientific and technological progress has broadened the range

of people’s activities, and made their lives more prosperous, new

societal issues arising from the progress of science and technology

have also become apparent.

The most representative example of these issues is undoubtedly the global
environmental issue.
GLOBAL WARMING
 GLOBAL WARMING

Modern technology provides a better opportunity for people to live

easily and conveniently. Using a car is faster than taking a walk or

riding a bicycle and tends to be more convenient.

People started to change the transport mode from riding a horse to

use the train when this modern technology was invented; people

change their behaviours to be more dependent on new technology.

However, since the new technology is mainly operated by

fossil fuel, the more technology we use the more carbon

dioxide is to be released to the atmosphere, creating global

warming.
In the past, people tend to use traditional technology, which is

mainly operated by the human and animal muscles, emitting

lower carbon dioxide for operating than the new one.

The improvement of Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine by James Watt

in 1776 has triggered the First Industrial Revolution in the UK, Western

Europe and later to the world. New technology has arrived, reducing

people to use their own muscles and also the dependency on

animal muscles.
Factories could multiply their products more easily which meant burning

more coal to operate the mechanical equipment. The burning of massive

coal was the beginning of a significant emission of carbon dioxide to the

atmosphere. It has been discovered later that the huge emission of carbon

dioxide has triggered global warming and changed the earth’s climate.
A marked escalation has appeared since 1890 when the invention of

electricity emerged the Second Industrial Revolution. Some more

inventions on diesel engine at the end of 19 century and the jet engine in

the first quarter of twenty century made human beings could move faster

and easier.
Since then, the dependency on new technology has been increased,

along with these inventions, and this has changed human behaviour

towards living.
People tend to more dependent on new technology in order to get a better

life and achieve a higher standard of life than before, leading to the vast

use of natural resources and energy

A sharp escalation on carbon emission has been detected in 1950 in

which, along with the increase of global population, many new

technologies were rapidly used in a number of sectors like

transportation, industry, household and building.

In building, elevator and air conditioner have been invented. Many

multi-story and high rise buildings have been built everywhere

since then, not only in the industrial countries but also in the

developing countries.
The availability of air-conditioners in buildings affected human behaviour

to wear thicker clothes like jackets since people tend to expect the indoor

environments would be much cooler. These simple changes in human

behaviour have demanded more electrical energy to be used, emitting more

carbon to the atmosphere, creating global warming and climate change.

ACID RAIN
Acid rain is one of the consequences of air pollution. Gases

produced from the burning of fuels react with the oxygen in

the air and water vapour, transforming into acids that fall onto

the earth's surface as rain. 

This acidification of the earth and surface water has devastating

effects on ecosystems and poses a serious danger to living beings.

 WHY DOES ACID RAIN OCCUR?
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, natural fires, lightning and some microbial

processes release sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

However, it is human action that causes most sulphur dioxide emissions due to

the burning of fuels in industry and power stations, as well as half of nitrogen

oxide emissions due to gases produced by motor vehicles.

DESTRUCTION OF THE OZONE LAYER
DESTRUCTION OF THE OZONE LAYER

The Ozone layer reduces harmful UV radiation reaching the Earth's

surface. The Ozone layer is present in Earth’s atmosphere (15-35km

above Earth) in the lower portion of the stratosphere and has relatively

high concentrations of ozone (O3).

 OZONE DEPLETION

Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone

layer present in the upper atmosphere. Ozone depletion also consists

of a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around

Earth's polar regions, which is referred to as the ozone hole.

CAUSE OF OZONE DEPLETION

The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is

manufactured chemicals, especially manufactured halocarbon

refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam- blowing agents

(chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, halons).

Since the early 1970's, scientists observed reduction in

stratospheric ozone and it was found more prominent in Polar

Regions.
EFFECTS

The depletion of the ozone layer has harmful effects on the

human health, animals, environment and marine life. 

Studies demonstrate that an increase in UV-B rays causes a higher

risk of skin cancer, plays a major role in malignant melanoma

development, sunburns, quick ageing, eye cataracts, blindness and

weaken immune system. 

Direct exposure to ultraviolet radiations also leads to skin and eye

cancer in animals.
UV-B rays negatively affect plants, crops. It may lead to minimal

plant growth, smaller leaf size, flowering and photosynthesis in

plants, lower quality crops for humans. And decline in plant

productivity would in turn affect soil erosion and the carbon cycle.
Planktons  and zooplankton are greatly affected by the exposure to

UV-B rays. These are higher in the aquatic food chain. If the

planktons declines, it would likely have wide-reaching effects for

all marine life in the lower food chain.

 DESTRUCTION OF
TROPICAL RAINFOREST
Tropical forests of all varieties are disappearing rapidly as

humans clear the natural landscape to make room for farms and

pastures, to harvest timber for construction and fuel, and to build

roads and urban areas.

Although deforestation meets some human needs, it also has

profound, sometimes devastating, consequences, including

social conflict, extinction of plants and animals, and climate

change—challenges that aren’t just local, but global. 

 IMPACTS

Although tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of the

Earth’s dry land, they probably harbor about half of all species

on Earth. Many species are so specialized to microhabitats

within the forest that they can only be found in small areas.

Their specialization makes them vulnerable to extinction.

In addition to the species lost when an area is totally deforested,

the plants and animals in the fragments of forest that remain also

become increasingly vulnerable, sometimes even committed, to

extinction. 
Global markets consume rainforest products that depend on

sustainable harvesting: latex, cork, fruit, nuts, timber, fibers,

spices, natural oils and resins, and medicines.

In addition, the genetic diversity of tropical forests is basically

the deepest end of the planetary gene pool. Hidden in the

genes of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that have not even

been discovered yet may be cures for cancer and other

diseases 
DESERTIFICATION
 DESERTIFICATION

Desertification occurs as a result of a long-term failure to balance

human demand for ecosystem services and the amount the ecosystem

can supply. The pressure is increasing on dryland ecosystems for

providing services such as food, forage, fuel, building materials, and

water which is needed for humans, livestock, irrigation, and sanitation. 

As global temperatures rise and the human population

expands, more of the planet is vulnerable to desertification, the

permanent degradation of land that was once arable.

Degradation tends to be driven by a number of factors,

including urbanization, mining, farming, and ranching. In the course

of these activities, trees and other vegetation are cleared away,

animal hooves pound the dirt, and crops deplete nutrients in the soil.

Climate change also plays a significant role, increasing the risk

of drought.
All of this contributes to soil erosion and an inability for the land to

retain water or regrow plants. About 2 billion people live on the

drylands that are vulnerable to desertification, which could displace

an estimated 50 million people by 2030.

  When land becomes desert, its ability to support surrounding

populations of people and animals declines sharply. Food often

doesn't grow, water can't be collected, and habitats shift.

This often produces several human health problems that range from

malnutrition, respiratory disease caused by dusty air, and other

diseases stemming from a lack of clean water.

These issues can be traced in increased human activities due to
progress in science and technology.
As global environmental issues have evolved, the people’s awareness

has also evolved.

People now believed that “to achieve happiness, mankind must be in

tune with nature.