How Technology Plays Havoc With Our Lives by Roshan Babu

Journal link

roshanbabu — 2015-09-22 04:05:16 UTC

http://content.library.ccsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ccsutheses/id/1761

-Roshan Babu

Not in Our Backyard : the Dangers of Nuclear Energy - A Summary

roshanbabu — 2015-09-22 18:06:44 UTC

Nuclear energy was hailed as the clean green ticket to a world of unlimited power, from one rapidly running out of its supply of polluting, conventional fuels. However upon closer inspection, the veil shifts to display the dark side of this new technology. Safety remains a controversial issue with the nuclear meltdowns at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima reminding people of the magnitude of destruction this technology could potentially cause. The amount of capital required to harness the benefits of nuclear energy number in billions. Another key issue is the misuse of the advents made in this field, in war. The horror story that was Hiroshima and Nagasaki seems to have taught Man nothing; countries keep piling more and more nuclear weapons in their arsenals. The ability of radiation to linger in an area, to permeate the air, the water bodies and the soil and to mutate living cells goes on to show how deadly this form of energy is. The greatest irony lies in the fact that for all the hype about nuclear energy being eco-friendly, it contributes significantly to environmental pollution. The stages involved in the production and removal of nuclear energy indirectly contribute to carbon emissions. Further, discharge of nuclear waste, containing heavy metals, into water bodies causes water pollution and adversely affects the aquatic wildlife. Storage of nuclear waste in landfills also poses problems due to leakage of radiation, which in turn leads to soil pollution. Hence it is seen that though nuclear energy holds a lot of promise, the threats it poses are too significant to ignore. Breakthroughs in alternate forms of energy generation offers risk-free and highly efficient power generation techniques. Let us strive for a bright future and progress on the path to development prudently.

-Roshan Babu

roshanbabu — 2015-09-22 19:12:25 UTC

Technology and Environment:

f2015385 — 2015-09-23 08:28:18 UTC

http://phe.rockefeller.edu/docs/Tech.Env.pdf

-Krishna Raj

The Darker side of World Wide Web

roshanbabu — 2015-09-23 09:41:09 UTC

Internet addiction is a source of major concern amongst people all over the world. According to a study conducted by a team under Hilary Cash, executive director of the reStart program for internet addiction and recovery, Majority of the population, mainly the younger generations are mildly addicted to internet. They were found to have poor health and social life style. Recent studies conducted shows that internet addiction has the same kind of effect on our body that other form of addictions such as substance addiction has. When we use such substances, the pleasure center in our brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Studies have proved that when internet addicts use them, their brain undergoes a similar process. Internet addiction has posed a serious problem of affecting the productivity of people and thus creating an urge for immediate solution. Another problem that has emerged because of use of internet technology is cyber crime. With each day number of people becoming victims of cybercrime is increasing. Despite several warnings and intellectual property rights, people continue to fall into the jaws of cybercrime. Based on a case study conducted by the govt. of United Kingdom, over 80% of its population were using internet as of 2012. This makes its citizens more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Given the borderless nature of internet, the origin of such crimes could also be well outside its jurisdiction. The govt. therefore decided to give cybercrimes “tier one” threat status and an allocation of £860 million of public funding for its “National cybersecurity”. Every year, the govt. suffers huge losses because of crimes related to cyber attacks.The exact amount is hard to determine, given various limitations. However, on a global basis, there is an average loss of $12.7 million with amounts varying from $1.6 million to $61 million based on a 2013 study.

Journal Link

roshanbabu — 2015-09-23 09:54:00 UTC

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246749/horr75-summary.pdf

-Sreeram Rajesh

f2015385 — 2015-09-23 13:59:45 UTC

Technology and Environment-A Summary

f2015385 — 2015-09-23 14:01:23 UTC

Technology has changed man from being an ignorant introvert to a perspicacious extrovert. In this perspective technology is certainly a boon. Thinking it with environment makes it incongruous.Well, that makes the real point apart from all those small benefits. Years of ignorance about the technological innovations led us to this misery, from the very first DDTs{which later found to cause environmental imbalance} to the CFCs{ depletion of ozone layer} it took us decades to realize what is going on. From the the industrial sewage causing water pollution to exhausts causing air pollution, it all ultimately contributes to environmental imbalance. Thus in order to achieve sustainable development and to get perfect authority of resources, man should change in a way such that environmental engineering should be given the fitst concern in technologies. Thus in a way upholding the old slogan of "GO BACK TO NATURE".

-Krishna Raj

roshanbabu — 2015-09-24 16:08:01 UTC

Introduction

roshanbabu — 2015-09-24 17:37:15 UTC

This is a discussion that addresses how the advent off technology has resulted in chaos.

1. The dark side of nuclear energy - Roshan Babu

2. The demerits of internet technology - Sreeram Rajesh

3. The impact of technology on the environment - Krishna Raj

In today's rush for alternate energy sources, how can we meet if we say no to nuclear energy?

roshanbabu — 2015-09-24 17:48:01 UTC

Contrary to popular belief, nuclear energy is not the cheapest form of energy available. There are several alternate sources of energy which are actually better than nuclear energy. Estimates show that wind energy costs only 5 cents per Kwh as compared to the 11 cents per kwh that is associated with nuclear energy. Solar energy is a resource with immense potential, especially in tropical nations like India where much of this energy source goes to waste. Other sources such as tidal energy, geothermal energy and the like provide non-polluting energy with minimal risk.

How can a country ensure security within its boundaries if it does not have nuclear weapons in its arsenal?

roshanbabu — 2015-09-24 18:10:09 UTC

History condemns the nuclear bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the most heinous act of cruelty committed by mankind. Nuclear weapons have the potential not only to kill, but also to mutiliate the lives of the unborn. Hence, rather than stockpiling nuclear weapons, countries must strive towards complete nuclear disarmament. Reports show that terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda are targeting nuclear power plants for their alleged operations ( see http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97980 ) Governments of the world should come together in the combat against terrorist organisations and should resolve the issue of nuclear terrorism once and for all.

How do you plan to implement that environmental engineering should take the front seat while pursuing industrial progress. Can you list out examples wherein technology and environmental conservation go hand in hand?

roshanbabu — 2015-09-24 18:20:42 UTC

How can we make our activities online secure?

f2015641 — 2015-09-24 18:47:51 UTC

The internet technology is now so developed that each and every computer device on this planet is connected. As a consequence, cybercrimes are also increasing in number. A good number of measures has already been put into effect such as file encryption and password protection. Even if a person breaks into a secure system, the file encryption ensures that the content is in an unreadable form. Further cloud service and autodestruction features are available to make sure that the information doesn't make its way to the wrong hands. Advanced technology has very secure systems such as fingerprint scanning, retina scanning etc. to provide extra security

In a world that is increasingly dependend on internet, how can we possibly propose to go against internet?

f2015641 — 2015-09-24 19:12:21 UTC

Of course internet is an indispensable part of our life. Our lives today are so dependent on it that one cannot imagine a day without it. However, an increasing rate in cybercrimes has led many people raise an eyebrow on this issue. However if suitable measure are ensured against this issue, we can succeed in making a secure environment for a better online experience.

How I collected information for my article

f2015641 — 2015-09-25 10:28:21 UTC

First, I went through some newspaper articles related to my topic such as "The Times", "The Newyorker" etc. From these articles, I found a link which gave me a journal based on a study conducted

by UK govt. I got further information from statistics available on various websites.

Sources of information

roshanbabu — 2015-09-25 17:58:47 UTC

I obtained my journal 'Not in Our Backyard : the Dangers of Nuclear Energy' from the internet. I went to the library and took up a book titled 'Nuclear Energy' by Charles D Ferguson. I did some background reading on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents and various countries' policies on nuclear weapons.

Top 10 most notorious Cyber Attacks of all time

f2015641 — 2015-09-26 14:30:17 UTC

Rehabs for Internet addict teenagers in China

f2015641 — 2015-09-26 16:04:56 UTC

Questionnaire

roshanbabu — 2015-09-30 15:39:50 UTC

Q1. What is the journal 'Not in Our Backyard : The Dangers of Nuclear Energy' all about?

Ans: The journal is an insight into the risk factors that are involved while we use nuclear energy. It lists out the aftereffects of the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and goes on to xplain in detail about the disastrous consequences of the nuclear meltdowns at Chernobyl and Fukushima . It ends with a description about the alternate sources of energy that hold the key to our future.

Q2. Why is raising awareness about nuclear energy the need of the hour?

Ans: Nuclear energy is fast becoming popular as a new source of energy supply. nuclear power-plants are being set up and countries are signing treaties regarding the same. However fact remains that while it is indeed an alternative source of energy, the costs involved and the hazardous waste products generated are problems too big to ignore. Further other alternate sources of energy are efficient, without any safety hazards.

Q3. List some alternate sources of energy. How are they better?

Ams: Solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and tidal energy are some alternate sources of energy. Solar energy is an untapped source of energy which holds a lot of promise. Wind energy is found to cheaper than nuclear energy while being non polluting. Geothermal and tidal energy are non polluting as well.

New words and its definitions

f2015641 — 2015-10-01 14:29:12 UTC

-By Sreeram Rajesh

1.Cyberspace- The entire platform of internet

2.Phising- Attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details

3.Sexting- sending sexually explicit messages, primarily between mobile phones

New words and its meaning

f2015385 — 2015-10-06 08:14:44 UTC

By Krishna Raj

1.Subsistence

the action or fact of maintaining or supporting oneself, especially at a minimal level.

2.Tyranny

arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power

3.Incineration

It is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials

f2015385 — 2015-10-06 08:30:44 UTC

examples are

1.Toyota GO GREEN policy

encouraging customers to sign up for paperless billing statements. This allows customers to receive monthly emails when their bill is due, rather than traditional paper statements sent through the mail. In addition to being more convenient to the customers, this can save literally tons of paper, plus the energy required to ship all of it.

2,Panasonic's "A Better Life, A Better World" policy

aiming to realize a "better life" for all its customers, and are promoting environmental initiatives as an important element in achieving that goal.
In production activities, exhaustive energy-saving measures have been implemented in all factories worldwide, pushing for further CO2 emissions reduction in our production activities. We are also pursuing Recycling-oriented Manufacturing for effective utilization of resources. One example is the development of a resources recycling and trade scheme together with our supplier, in which scrap iron from used home appliances is recycled into steel plates to be used as material for products by our Group

-Krishna Raj

How I collected information

f2015385 — 2015-10-06 08:44:29 UTC

First i went through some of my old environmental education text books,then i went through a UN document on the role of MNCs in sustainable development,then i read several other documents including my shared document.

Proof of sources

f2015385 — 2015-10-06 08:50:56 UTC

1.UN journal

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/73-371/UN_article.doc

2.Panasonic's environmental policies

http://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/sustainability/eco.html

3.Toyota GO GREEN

http://www.vroomgirls.com/go-paperless/

http://www.toyota.com/usa/environment/articles/operations_greenbuildings.html

4.Exxon Valdez Oil Spill -Retro report documentry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaRdUHrUnBs
5.Environmental engineers profiles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2epvAUEdCI

Refences of the main journal shared

1.American scientific society paper

http://www.is4ie.org/resources/Documents/Strategies_For_Manufacturing_Sci_American_1989.pdf

2.US environmental protection agency document

http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/05D69C9026FA490B852573280062B004/$File/ec-88-040.pdf

List Applications of internet technology

f2015641 — 2015-10-06 16:26:32 UTC

The application of internet technology in today's world is so versatile and widespread that we cannot imagine our life without it. From casual browsing to social networking to shopping and banking, almost anything we can imagine is connected to the internet in some way or the other. The entire world is connected by a web called internet. The working of almost any institution or company in today's world is unimaginable without internet.

-Casual Browsing

-Online social networking

-Shopping

-Internet banking

-Online courses for students

-Online entertainment

-Booking tickets.

etc etc and almost anything that we can imagine.

If sky is the limit, then internet is in the space.

Words and their Meanings

roshanbabu — 2015-10-06 17:46:47 UTC

1. Consecrate - to declare as sacred.

2. Oversight - an unintentional failure to notice or do something

3. Legitimate - conforming to laws and rules

4. Outlandish - bizarre or unfamiliar

5. Exacerbate - to worsen

6. Dissemination - to spread

7. Proliferation - rapid increase in number

8. Detrimental - tending to cause harm

Application of Nuclear Energy

roshanbabu — 2015-10-06 18:22:10 UTC

Nuclear energy is the solution to the problems of tomorrow. The vast demand for energy in the future can only be addressed by nuclear energy. For the same amount of fuel, nuclear energy produces 1 million times the power produced by fossil fuels. Further more, it is the only form of renewable energy that can be transported as fuel.

While conceding these points, the fact still remains that they pose a great threat to mankind and to the future in general. Hence it has the potential to wreck havoc.

Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Plays Havoc With Our Lives

f2015641 — 2015-10-07 13:43:28 UTC

So, to summarise, though nuclear energy looks like a good deal on paper, it raises a lot of concerns. Safety is the primary concern with serious questions being raised regarding the hazardous nature of nuclear waste. Furthermore, the extent of damage caused by this perilous source of energy is mind boggling. Incidents like the accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki go on to show how long term the effects of nuclear energy can be. Further, nuclear energy can be weaponized and used to wreck lives by terrorist organisations. When conventional, non-threatening sources of energy exist, it is redundant to carry on with this unpredictable source of energy.

Ideas to create a good impact in the world of Internet technology

f2015641 — 2015-10-07 13:43:31 UTC

By Sreeram Rajesh

The main factor that has worked against the growth of internet technology is the growth of cybercrimes in the virtual platform.

Although it is now possible to store almost any information in the digital format, they are vulnerable to leak through internet. Such leaks has a major negative impact on the privacy of people or institution or any body that is using them.

It is therefore important that we plug such leaks. Many internet security technologies has been developed such as anti-virus software, data encryption codes, password protection of sensitive informations as well as many biometric technologies such as finger printing, retina scanning, all stored in digital format to impeccable accuracy.

Technology and Environment

f2015385 — 2015-10-07 15:45:15 UTC

They say friction is a necessary evil. So is technology. While a particular group might lament over how it has drastically affected the quality of lives and lifestyle in general, another group might point out how it has revolutionized our lives by providing facilities be it in health, education, entertainment etc. which were otherwise unfathomable. It has turned man into an animal, greedy for more. But on the flip side, there are many small things which help put up a case for technology. For example, use of e-books and e-book readers have helped save millions of trees. Countless number of apps have influenced human thought process beyond questioning. Raising funds, spreading awareness, energy efficient structures, robots etc are just a few of drops from the ocean. The real challenge lies in developing a technology-driven environment friendly lifestyle with the notion of when and where to draw the line clearly formulated.

How technology plays havoc with our lives- conclusion

roshanbabu — 2015-10-07 16:11:43 UTC

1.The nuclear technology has benefited us in so many ways that it has firmly implanted its usefulness to us. Yet it has many harmful effects on our environment which we should always take into account when we plan to implement this technology.

2.The development in cyber technology has also led to an increase in online criminal activities. It has led to a less secure environment for internet users online.

3.The technological advancements during the 20th century has led to a great improvement in our lifestyles. It has however also had a negative impact on the environment.

We therefor conclude our assignment on the note that technological advancments are essential for the growth of humankind.However, it should be in such a way that the negative impacts it causes must be minimised

Questionnaire

f2015385 — 2015-10-07 16:12:15 UTC

1. Technology is a necessary evil. Is this statement true?

ans: Yes, it is impossible to think of a world void of all the technological marvels we enjoy today. But, at the same time, they have created a wider gap between leisure and sustainability.

2. Give examples as to how technology has helped curb pollution?

ans: 1.use of digital data and documents.

2.Softwares which help buildenergy efficient structures.

3)How does hydroelectric power plant cause pollution?

Ans:The major pollutant generated by hydroelectric power plant is methane, that has a warming impact much higher than that of CO2. This methane is generated in the reservoir that is created by building a dam across a flowing water body i.e. river.