The Negative and PoIntroduction
In today's society more people are working longer hours and utilizing more technology in their everyday life. As a result of these longer hours and increased use of technology, more energy is being consumed. (Hayden and Shandra 575) The impact that this is having on the environment is substantial in both negative and positive ways. It is hard to deny the benefits modern technology has produced for the world, in industry and in everyday life. With more and more technological breakthroughs, there have been many positive ecological impacts. However, it is also hard to deny that there are considerable negative impacts as well.
Supporters of a work reduction scheme maintain that the reduction in hours will have a positive effect on the environment and the raw materials that are used on a daily basis. (Hayden and Shandra 576) Though the argument that a reduction in hours will result in a better quality of life is largely agreed upon, the theory that a reduction in hours will reduce the negative impacts on the environment is still one of contention as there is no concrete evidence to back it up. (Hayden and Shandra 576)
To counter this theory, there are those who argue that a reduction in hours will not result in a redution in damage to the environment. Each year, technology is making advances in producing low energy products that will reduce the damage to the environment. It is argued that with these advances there will be no need to reduce the work hours as a reduction in energy consumption will in fact enable employees to work longer hours. (Williams 41)
The Negative Ecological Impacts of Technology
One of the biggest problems the world faces today is the amount of energy that is consumed globally. With almost all of the world's businesses using computer technology to operate, the energy consumption of the industrial world is constantly on the increase. Countries such as the United States where the average employee works...