Technology

I have to agree with Rob about being reluctant to condemn technology, but for different reasons. I feel that considering the current state of the environment, turning away from technology would do more harm than good. The pollution resulting from human activity will not magically disappear if we just suddenly stopped using technology. However, there are known techniques for getting rid of and reducing the pollution in the air and water that has resulted from human action, with better techniques being developed all the time. Not using these techniques would probably do more harm for the planet as the pollution would just sit there and slowly breakdown, possibly creating even more harmful by-products in the mean time, as opposed to the impact created by getting rid of pollution using technology. Technology has the possibility of reducing people's impact on the planet and even reversing it. 

I do understand where people who condemn technology are coming from. There is a real possibility that people could become secondary to technology or that technology will help people trash the planet even quicker than we are doing so right now. I worry about it too, especially with the number of movies and TV shows about a post-apocalyptic future where humanity, and the planet, are dying because of something really stupid people did, like building a computer capable of artificial intelligence that decides to destroy humanity [Terminator] or where men become sterile [Children of Men]. 

You don't even have to look to fiction to see the damage people can do with technology. The hole in the ozone layer, the destruction of habitats, acid rain, and countless other problems with the environment that technology and people have caused. However, here I would have to agree with Rob when he says that technology may not be a force unto itself. Every instance where technology helps destroy the planet, it does not act by itself [yet anyway], but is directed and used by people, usually to help people have more stuff or to cope with growing populations. Technology doesn't seem to be the problem even if it does help people destroy the planet faster as people seem to be the real problem. People need to want to consume less so that we destroy the planet less and hopefully reverse our effects. Don't blame technology for the impact people have, blame people.