Environmental consequences of Technology on our Planet and Life

Running head : ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

Environmental consequences of Technology on our Planet and Life

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Environmental consequences of Technology on our Planet and Life

Rapid changes in technology have resulted in both conveniences and inconveniences for our life and have brought changes to our planet . As new electronic technologies continue to insinuate themselves into people 's life , they are prompting many far-reaching changes : new business practices , new patterns of social interaction , new personal habits . The rest of the describes the impact of technology on our

planet and life

Impact of Technology on Our Planet

With the advancement of technology new chemicals have been produced to bring convenience to human life . Such chemicals have resulted in the change in our planet 's environment

Impact of New Compounds on the Environment of Our Planet

The ozone layer is an invisible sheet 19 to 48 kilometers above the ground that absorbs most of the ultraviolet rays from the sun . The mix of sunlight and oxygen forms the ozone layer . Without the ozone , there would be many health hazards to humans , animals and plants , possibly causing life on Earth to end . Holes are created in the ozone sheet by chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs for short . This chemical can be found in substances such as aerosol spray cans , bromine halocarbons , nitrous oxides from fertilizers , refrigerants , cleaning fluids , and plastic packaging substances . Aerosol spray cans are the most common culprits

Scientists also believe that carbon dioxide plays a big role in the breakdown of the ozone . This includes exhaust gas from high altitude planes and cars , and the burning of rain forests . The breakdown of the ozone layer actually happens when chlorine-containing chemicals rise into the air and sunlight breaks down the chemical . The chlorine in the chemical slowly destroys the ozone molecules , resulting in a hole in our ozone layer . All of the CFCs floating into the ozone have caused a large ozone hole right above Antarctica , the South Pole . As the hole gets larger , it will cause Antarctica , as well as other ice caps , to melt This will cause water-levels to rise everywhere

The CFCs will also cause global warming , or the gradual increase of temperature of the lower atmosphere . This is evident by comparing the ice of Greenland from 20 years ago to now the ice has thinned rapidly around the edges . The ultraviolet rays that pass through the ozone holes can be very hazardous to life down on Earth . Too much exposure causes skin cancer and possibly cataracts , which is cloudiness of the lens of the eye . Ultraviolet rays will damage marine animals such as fish shrimp and crab , resulting in a likely imbalance in the ocean food web The ultraviolet rays will change plants ' distribution of nutrients metabolism and photosynthesis . Since all food chains basically begin with plants , all life would end if the plants died out from ultraviolet radiation

Although the holes in the ozone layer cannot be mended , there are things one can do to...