The impact of fossil fuels, toxins and technology in our

everyday life Victoria Daglas

C2’2017

Fossils Fuels

What are fossil fuels ?

“ Fossil fuels are organic matter made from the remains of flora and fauna subjected to immense

pressure and heat deep within the Earth over millions of years.”

Fossil fuels have been deployed since ancient times but their use reached its peak only after the Industrial Revolution

The most common ones are petroleum, coal and natural gas

Fossil Fuels especially oil and gas are used for the construction of almost everything that surround us (from fuel cars and airplanes to power electricity plants and from medicine to plastics)

Why do we need alternatives?

Even though they are formed via a natural process they are not considered to be inexhaustible sources of energy and raw material, as they are faster depleted than produced

Since fossil fuels are non-renewable the need of their replacement is urgent

Furthermore, their use should be diminished as they are responsible for several problems the environment and

humankind must deal with.

Some of them are:1) The burning of fossil fuels produces so much CO2 (carbon

dioxide) that natural processes can absorb only half of the amount produced. CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming

2) Air pollution , which is partially caused by fossil fuels, has a crucial effect on human health and can lead to death

What can be done in order to change the situation mentioned:

From governments and nations:I. They should cut down their investments on non-

renewable sources of energy and raw materialII. The richest countries could help the ones that

possibly cannot afford something else than fossil fuels

From each one of us:I. Reduce the use of plasticII. Reduce, reuse, recycleIII. Energy awareness concerning

power consumptionIV. Prefer walking or cyclingV. Use public transportation

instead of your own vehicleVI. Encourage others to do the

same

Toxic Products and Toxic Waste

What is toxic waste?

“Toxic waste is any material in liquid, solid, or gas form that can cause harm by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.”

Why toxic waste must be reduced ?

They are extremely harmful, both for the environment and us

The disposal of such waste (left in streams, rivers and oceans or buried underground in landfills) is a major public health issue

Toxic products people use every day:

I. PerfumesII. MattressesIII. Cleaning productsIV. Air freshenersV. Plastic bottles and food containersVI. CosmeticsVII. AntiperspirantsVIII. Non-stick cookwareIX. Shower curtainsX. Bug spraysXI. Canned foodXII. TV and game consolesXIII. ComputersXIV. Cell phones

Technology

Technology as our second or even first nature

It is an indisputable fact that the use of technology is constantly increasing and it is taking over our lives

It is of great importance and assistance in our everyday life and it has become essential for someone to keep up with the non-stop developing technological trends

Both our professional and personal lives are now technology dependent

However we haven’t yet reached peak-technology since there is so much more to come.

Technology among generations

The people who were born before the advent of technology in their daily lives are considered to be “digital immigrants”

Only the generations who are born since the beginning of the 21th century are “digital natives”

Not even the ones who invented our tech-enabled society are “digital natives”

Nevertheless, the future appears to be in favour of the “digital natives” so it seems that we actually have nothing to worry about

The negative aspects of Technology

I. A Social Divide (expensive to keep up with the newest tech-trends/ only for the upper classes)

II. A Generation of Laziness (everything can be given very easily)

III. Distraction from other activitiesIV. Social isolationV. Contributes to the destruction of the environmentVI. Can be used for harmful purposesVII. Can affect negatively physical and mental health VIII. AddictionIX. Lack of privacy

We must keep in mind:Technology is neutral and it’s up to how we use it for it to be beneficial or harmful

Summing up...Fossil fuels, toxins and technology are terms closely related and one affects the other

Their part in our society’s development has always been determining and without them we wouldn't be where we are today

Nevertheless, everything has its limits and it looks like we are far beyond them

If we learn to control the technology we are given without overdoing it, we will definitely create a better world for us and posterity

Internet Sources http://www.kathimerini.gr/123487/article/epikairothta/kosmos/orykta-kaysima-ap

eiloyn-to-perivallon https://www.nmoga.org/what-are-fossil-fuels-used-for http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/fossil-fuels/ http://www.wikihow.com/Conserve-Fossil-Fuels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel https://www.mhi-global.com/discover/earth/issue/history/history.html http://

www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/20-toxic-things-you-probably-use-every-day.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_waste http://www.useoftechnology.com/technology-today-tomorrow/ https://www.motus.com/how-does-technology-impact-your-daily-life/ http://futureofworking.com/7-biggest-pros-and-cons-of-technology/ http://occupytheory.org/list-of-pros-and-cons-of-technology/ http://greengarageblog.org/list-of-7-big-pros-and-cons-of-technology