Bryce Dawkins
Paragraph 1: Douthwaite has many good points and amazing ideas. Along with his ideas he also has an endless amount of possibilities. Technology is a great thing it helps us in our everyday lives and also allows us to change the course of history. I believe that technological fixes will help the world but also it could make things worse. As Huesmann stated in his article, all things are connected. He narrowed it down in to one word Interconnectedness. This meaning that everything we as humans do will eventually affect the environment which in turn will affect us. Comparing the world to a spider web was genius, its helps to understand that all things really are connected and by using only technology to fix all problems we will bleed this land dry of the resources it so graciously gives us. Huesmann also went on to say that Technological Fixes cause illusions, illusions that cause separateness from the natural environment. Now the environment is not the only ones who have a problem with only relying on technology to fix all things. In Johnston’s piece there was a paragraph about Military men stating that if technological advances and fixes could be negated by social and political problems then what’s the point of having them. Now let’s take a step back, if technology can not keep us safe all the time(not stating that we as people can keep ourselves safe all the time either) then why risk it. I believe technology can help but it can not be the end all be all of our world.
Paragraph 2: Technological fixes will not fix everything. Like I stated in the first paragraph Technological fixes could possibly make things worse. Most of the time technology is amazing and it’s quick and efficient. But what happens when it doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, when it starts doing more harm than good? Technology has had hiccups in our nation’s past, for example when we looked for a solutions to pest problems regarding our crops we turned to technology. We used DDT’s, pesticides created to combat the pest that were plaguing our crops and fields. Yes this worked and works still but also has been found to cause some illnesses and was criticized for causing widespread ecological problems. DDT’s is an example of toying with something we cannot fully control. We manipulate and coerce things to do as we want and please without thinking of the repercussions that could follow behind. Like Huesmann stated “all things are connected”. Whether you choose to believe in this is your problem but until we realize that our actions have repercussions and will not always go our way the closer we get to help ourselves. I’m not saying we should not look to technology to help us because that would ignorant to not use the gifts we have been given. What I’m saying is not to abuse and rely on them. We as people have come a long way using each other and our own ideas to fix things way before technology. It won’t hurt to go back to our roots occasionally.
First off I enjoyed reading your blog. The effect that everything comes back to us was a good point. I can agree with you on that 100%. In many points of our lifes we never conster how and who the technology will hurt the post. We look to the fact who it will the help the most. For some reason as humans we feel some inferiority and that negitive effect on the rest of the plant dosent really matter cause we can fix everything.