A brief look at what technologies are contributing to the death of our planet

1. Technology Will Destroy
Our Planet
By: Kyle Cotter

2. Topics of Discussion
 Pros of modern technology
 Cons of modern technology
 Current state of our Earth
 What are some of the main pollutants?
 Which technologies are the worst for the environment?
 Why focus on air pollution?
 Oil & nuclear pollution
 Plastic Waste
 Past disasters
 Wildlife
 How these technological pollutants affect human health

3. Pros
 These products make life easier for workers and their communities due to
their convenience
 Pesticides give us food that does not perish as quickly and therefore enables
mass production
 Oil runs our cars, trucks, and factories making travel and production easier
compared to many years ago
 Power gives us electricity to have heated homes, hot meals cooked on an
electric stove, and lights to see in the night
 Industrial facilities allow us to manufacture larger quantities at a lower cost
and less risk for workers

4. Cons
 Most of the products that modern technology has created all have massive
negative affects on our environment such as:
 Oil spills killing many animals and disrupts ecosystems on a large scale
 Nuclear power creates waste products that are difficult to dispose of and in some
cases gets into ecosystems and water supplies affecting humans and wildlife
 Appliances, if not disposed of properly, will leak harmful chemicals into the soil
and water (creating surface runoff)
 Cars create harmful gases that negatively affect our planet and can be harmful to
humans causing illness and even death
 Not only are plastic bottles, containers, and wrappers horrible for the
environment, the manufaturing process creates green house gases that can harm
plants, animals, and people

5. Current State of Our Earth
 This video was produced in 2006 and shows the tremendous amounts of
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide we are putting into the atmosphere
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1SgmFa0r04
 Even though this video is 7 years old, it can give us an idea of how much we
will continue to impact our planet as industrial companies continue to grow
 Vehicles make up a lot of these gases but nothing compared to industrial
output
 Nuclear energy also contributes to the amount of gases in our atmosphere

6. What Are Some Of The Main Pollutants
 There are 6 common air pollutants these include:
 Carbon monoxide - A colorless, odorless gas emitted from combustion processes. Usually
from automobiles. (EPA, 2015)
 Ground-Level Ozone - Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor
vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents (EPA, 2015)
 Sulfur Oxides - The largest sources of SO2 emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at
power plants (73%) and other industrial facilities (20%) (EPA, 2015)
 Nitrogen Oxides - Forms quickly from emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power
plants, and off-road equipment (EPA, 2015)
 Particulate matter - Made up of a number of components, including acids (such as
nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. (EPA, 2015)
 Lead - The major sources of lead emissions have historically been from fuels in on-road
motor vehicles and industrial sources (EPA, 2015)
 http://www.epa.gov/airquality/lead/

7. Which Technologies Are The Worst For
The Environment
 Industrial manufacturing of metal, plastics, fuels and many other products
can release gases that build up in our atmosphere and contribute to polluting
our air
 Industrial pollution is easily on of the worst polluters on the planet causing
sickness in people, death of plant and wildlife, as well as very polluted water
sources
 China has some of the worst air pollution in the world and is showing no sign
of slowing
 The link to the video below is a somewhat humorous, yet serious, look at
China’s horrible air pollution that causes up to a quarter of the worlds green
house gases
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwOBRH56Ic0

8. Why Focus On Air Pollution?
 I have decided to focus heavily on air pollution because I
believe it is one of the biggest negative impacts of
modern technological advancements
 Air pollution affects our overall health
 Air pollution also affects our ability to grow plants, trees,
and food
 With the technological advancements of the industrial
industry, it is clear to see that this industry affects more
than one aspect of our environment and is constantly
expanding
 Hamilton, Ontario is a prime example of this issue due to
the quality of the air and quality of the water
surrounding the industrial district
Picture of Hamilton Harbour. Picture retrieved
from http://www.thespec.com/news-
story/2176485-harbour-pollution-eyed-as-
drinking-water-threat/

9. Oil & Nuclear Pollution
 Other than air pollution, which is a direct result of the
industrial industry, there is also nuclear power and oil
industries that contribute to the unfortunate state of our
earth
 Oil is used for cars and manufacturing companies
 Oil spills kill millions of animals and disrupt aquatic and
land based ecosystems
 Nuclear power plants are responsible for 20% of the United
States electricity
 The water used in the cooling process of nuclear energy
production is high in salt and heavy metals; this and the
heated water going back into the environment can cause
significant damage to lakes and rivers as well as the animals
that inhabit them
Pictures from www.businesskorea.co.kr &
www.science.howstuffworks.com

10. Plastic Waste
 Plastics are a never ending problem around the world
 In 2012, 32 million tons of plastic was generated in the US alone and only 9%
of that was collected as recycle
 Something as simple as a plastic bag can take up to 1000 years to fully
biodegrade
 Plastics can be found everywhere from beaches, impoverished towns, and city
streets

11. Wildlife
Mutated frog from
nuclear waste
Retrieved from
readaninterview.com
Plastic in a bird
Retrieved from serc.carleton.edu
Oil covered bird from an
oil spill
Retrieved from
microbewiki.Kenyon.edu
Bird flying by smoke
stacks
Retrieved from nwf.org
These are examples of how modern technologies can affect animals
throughout the world. Even if the issue is not directly related it can be
traced back to one of these processes. Transportation of oil in turn causing
oil spills in our oceans and harming the ecosystem as well as wildlife, plastic
that was manufactured at a factory killing the bird from littering and
polluting our air simultaneously through production. Finally, the frog is an
example of what mutations can occur when animals are exposed to
radioactive material in water or on land.

12. How These Technological Pollutants
Affect Humans
 Many illnesses are associated with all types of pollution
 Polluted air can cause lung disorders, asthma in young children, and cause other
respiratory infections or illnesses
 Plastic products such as water bottles and garden hoses have been known to leak
carcinogens into water
 Nuclear power has seen its fair share of failures such as the Chernobyl disaster
which caused people to develop cancer and burns on their skin and throat
 Oil spills can cause entire bodies of water to be deemed unfit for human
consumption if the spill cannot be cleaned properly or in time
 Many other sicknesses or complications are associated with all of these pollutants
and they all range in severity (such as effects on the kidneys, liver, or nervous
system)

13. Conclusion
These pollutants may be the cause of many sicknesses but it’s the technological
advances like plastic factories, nuclear energy, and the massive need for oil
world wide that have created these issues that are now wreaking havoc on our
environment on a global scale. The ice in the Arctic is a tell tale sign that
something we are doing is creating massive problems in our atmosphere and
something must be done to slow or stop this process.
These are only a few of the pollutants and technologies that are contributing to
the destruction of our planet and I plan on doing everything in my power to help
prevent our world from becoming a barren wasteland of smog, plastic bottles,
and nuclear fallout.
By the time someone realizes, and acts on, what needs to be done our planet will
be, unfortunately, destroyed because in my opinion the planet is in too deep and
there is no turning back.

14. References
 Stanic, C. (2014). Bad Effects of Modern Technology in the Environment. Culture
and Society. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8570158_bad-effects-
modern-technology-environment.html
 Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Nuclear Energy. Clean Energy. Retrieved
from http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear.html
 Environmental Protection Agency. (2014). Plastics. Wastes – Resources
Conservation – Common Wastes & Materials. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/plastics.htm
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.) How Oil Harms Animals
and Plants in Marine Environments. Office of Response and Restoration. Retrieved
from http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/how-
oil-harms-animals-and-plants.html
 US EPA Office of Air and Radiation. (2014). What You Need to Know About
Ozone and Your Health. Smog – Who Does it Hurt?. Retrieved from
http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=smog.index