Technology Will Destroy Our Planet

By Christopher Robson

Population Growth

• Currently there is over 7 billion humans on Earth, and growing rapidly

• Why is this a bad thing?– We are rapidly running out of resources– A study by World Wildlife Fund found that by

2050, we will need another planet the size of earth to support our growing population

Population Growth

• By 2020, we will run out of Antimony (used in drugs, and batteries)

• By 2058, we will run out of Antimony, Indium, Silver, Copper, Titanium, Tantalum, Gas, Oil, and Coal.

• Note: This list does not include ‘renewable’ resources that my become extinct by over hunting/commercial farming

Weapons Of Mass Destruction• There are an estimated 19,000 nuclear devices

in the world• 4,400 of which are operational• If all active nuclear weapons (4,200) were

launched:– Nuclear winter would occur for up to one year– EMP blasts would destroy electrical technologies– Billions of people will die– Survivors may become eradiated

• Cancers, and other diseases will become more common• Food and water sources will become contaminated

• A Time-Laps of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945

• There are an estimated 19,000 nuclear devices in the world

• 4,400 of which are operational• If all active nuclear weapons (4,200) were

launched:– Nuclear winter would occur for up to one year– EMP blasts would destroy electrical technologies– Billions of people will die– Survivors may become eradiated

• Cancers, and other diseases will become more common• Food and water sources will become contaminated

• A Time-Laps of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY

Genetic Engineering

• The direct modification of an organism’s genome– Genes can be removed, added, turned off,

and turned on– Can range from plants, virus, bacteria, and

animals• “GloFish” are the first genetically modified

animal to be sold as a pet

Genetic Engineering

• What have we created?– Genetically Modified Crops

• Poison Resistant Plants• Disease Resistant Plants• Merger of two similar plant species, taking the best

of each plant– Genetically Modified Microbes.

• Protein insulin to treat diabetes• Human growth hormones• Alpha-Amylase – used to create bio fuels

Genetic Engineering

• What have we created?– Animals

• Chimeras– A single organism that is comprised of two different organism– Usually an animal

• Improved food qualities– Food

• Eggs• Rice• Fruit

Genetic Engineering

• What could go wrong?– Release of a super virus/disease– Destruction of a species– Billions of deaths

• What has gone wrong?– Bacteria that has killed beneficial soil bacteria– Bacteria that has made plants toxic– Crops bring new allergy problems– Super virus/disease

• Creation of a highly contagious and deadly bird flu strain (H5N1)

Global Warming

• 68.3% of the United States electricity generation is produced by fossil fuels– This is releasing Greenhouse Gasses into the

atmosphere, this includes:– Carbon Dioxide– Methane– Nitrous Oxide– Fluorinated gases

Global Warming

• Temperature in the U.S. alone has increased by 0.86 Celsius

• This is causing disturbances in ocean flow, causing sever weather storms

• The Polar Icecaps are also melting at an alarming rate– This is causing ocean flows to break down– If this melting continues, their could be a rise of

up to 11 meters in some areas

Cloning

• Research is being done into cloning human body parts for transplantation

• Currently animals have been successfully cloned• Although unlikely, the human race may begin

cloning as a way of longevity• It is possible to have undetectable defects with

each clone, until the human race is no longer able to reproduce, or continue cloning.– This effect is known as diminishing returns

Technological Waste

• Over 1.9 million tons of discarded technology is being sent to landfills– These technologies can contain toxic substances

such as cadmium and mercury– The technology is sometimes melted down for gold,

however this emits toxic chemicals into the atmosphere

Conclusion

• In the end, technology can not be blamed for the destruction of the Earth, it is humans who create the technology, and use it without known the repercussions

Resources• BBC. (2012). Global Resource Stock Check. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120618-

global-resources-stock-check• Daily Mail. (2007). Scientists create world’s first see-through frog. Retrieved from

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-484072/Scientists-create-worlds-frog.html• EIA. (2012). Electric Power Monthly. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/• FAS. (2012). Status of World Nuclear Forces. Retrieved from

http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/nukes/nuclearweapons/nukestatus.html• FDA. (2009). Genetically Engineered Animals. Retrieved from

http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/developmentapprovalprocess/geneticengineering/geneticallyengineeredanimals/default.htm

• Green Peace. (N.D.). Genetic Engineering: Too Good to go Wrong?. Retrieved from http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/97/geneng/getoogoo.html

• GloFish. (2012). GloFish Home Page. Retrieved from http://www.glofish.com/• RT. (2011). Man-made super-flu could kill half humanity. Retrieved from http://rt.com/news/bird-flu-killer-

strain-119/• Scientific America. (2008). Trashed Tech Dumped Over Seas: Does the U.S. Care?. Retrieved from

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=trashed-tech-dumped-overseas• Nasa. (2011). Contiguous 48 U.S. Surface Air Temperature Anomaly. Retrieved from

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs_v3/Fig.D.txt• TheGuardian. (2002). Earth ‘will expire by 2050’. Retrieved from

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jul/07/research.waste