Technology and Society

Some technological advances can have an enormous social impact.

Let’s debate:

“Do you think engineers would be able to do their work as quickly and efficiently if they didn’t have computer graphic tools?”

Introduction

Humans use technology as a tool.

However, many of these advances also cause problems.

Introduction

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Mobile phones: use

them too much,

distracting or annoyingComputer

games: extreme

violence or discrimination

Genetical modified foods can have an

impact on health

Computer piracy

Do you know more?

Human evolution has led to an unstoppable environmental degradation.

All technological activity will alter the environment to some extent.

After the Industrial Revolution

we began to extract natural

resources and fuels very quickly.

Introduction

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Three major problems

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1. Pollution and waste.

2. Depletion of energy resources.

3. Disappearance of plant and animal species and habitats.SOLUTION

S

R R R

1. Make a poster with images of forest fires, erupting volcanoes, smoking chimneys and as many other sources of pollution as you can think of.

Label each image with the pollutants it produces.

2. Write a definition of desertification with your own words. What’s the effect of desertification on the soil?

ACTIVITY

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

An energy source that can be used instead of fossil fuels

It is usually a renewable source of energy that could be used should fossil fuels run out

Why is there a need for alternative sources of energy? 90 per cent of the worlds energy supply’s come

from fossil fuels. Because they are fossil fuels they DO have a life

expectancy. Burning fossil fuels has increased atmospheric

pollution. Vehicle exhausts contribute to acid rain more so

than power stations burning coal. The carbon stored in fossil fuels is released as

carbon dioxide when they are burnt – this leads to the green house effect and global warming

So what are the alternative energy sources to fossil fuels?A. Nuclear Power: (They are trying to avoid this type, IS NOT

RENEWABLE) The nuclear power was seen as the answer. Huge

amounts of power could be produced from a small amount of uranium

However, it was not well known that it produced radioactive waste

The waste is dangerous to health and life for hundreds of years

There is no secure place for storage. Public confidence has also been shattered by the

explosion at Chernobyl in 1986

B) Solar Power: Energy obtained from sun.

C) Wind Power: Energy from the wind.

Can be used for mechanical tasks, e.g. pumping water

Can be used for generation of electricity for direct use or storage in batteries

D) Hydropower: Energy obtained from the water movement.

E) Wave power:

F) Biomass Energy: Biomass Energy is defined by any organic materials that can be burned and used as a source of fuel.

Technology and Society