The double-edged pro/con sword of technology
Recap and update
Welcome back, regular readers! And to any new readers, I extend an especially warm and hearty welcome. This post serves as an introduction to the pros and cons of technology, from low-tech to high tech, and concludes with focusing on the pros and cons of nuclear energy, an ongoing controversial technology.
Earlier posts focused on following the historical trajectory of humanity, from the Big Bang to the evolution of mammals, including 300,000 years of homo sapiens evolutionary development, from hunter-gatherers to farmers and herders, and progressively to villages, towns, cities, empires and civilizations. As with all species, the primary goal for humans throughout evolutionary history may be the ability to survive and continue improving chances for a sustainable existence.
For the past 75 years or so, concerns have been increasingly raised regarding humanity’s future. The mounting fears about the inherent dangers of modern technologies, notably nuclear power and artificial intelligence, continue raising warnings. The chances for attaining a truly resilient and sustainable socioecological existence appear to be shrinking daily. Too few fully informed persons recognize, acknowledge, and accept the need to question the negative impacts of such powerful technologies. I hope you agree that, for all stalwart, deeply-concerned global citizens, the primary long-term goal should be to reconnect with Nature, the source of all sustenance.
Technology – Its meaning and purpose
It’s likely that one of humanity’s greatest challenges relates to the technologies we use and the purposes for which they are intended. As a long-time believer in the need for developing a well-balanced mind-body state in negotiating life, I remain aware of the paradoxes or opposing forces. This phenomenon is particular relevant when it comes to using any technology, be it the simplest or most complex form.
As defined, technology may be thought of as the application of conceptual knowledge in achieving practical goals, especially in a repeatable manner. The word also refers to the intended results of achieved objectives. For modern folk, this includes using tangible tools like utensils and machines, as well as digital software. Ever since Paleolithic humans began using stone tools, developing language, and experimenting with fire, humanity has grown increasingly technologically proficient.
As we continue creating innovative technologies that have the power to transform the quality of life on planet Earth, there is a growing concern that insufficient attention is given to anticipating any potential negative externalities associated with employing it. In this post we’ll consider some basic responses of experts concerned with understanding the so called “double-edged sword” pros and cons of any technology. An appropriate pro/con editorial quote in a New York Times editorial (8-29-86) addresses this concern:
Technology, when misused, poisons air, soil, water and lives. But a world without technology would be prey to something worse: the impersonal ruthlessness of the natural order, in which the health of a species depends on relentless sacrifice of the weak.
The high-tech transition
Over our long lifetimes, my wife and I have adapted to using most technologies in accomplishing life’s objectives, beginning in our youthful years with low-tech hand-tools and some mid-tech power tools. When advanced forms of electronic technologies became affordable in the mid-20th century with the Information Age, we joined most Americans in making use of them, especially audio-visual recording devices and television.
By the 1990s we were enthusiastically using computers, particularly the Internet and email, and in the past two decades we’ve grown addicted to using smartphones and a plethora of assorted software applications that provide enhanced communication and information. The transformation from analogue electronic technologies to the “Digital Revolution” created a fundamental change in the processing, storage, and transmission of information. In daily life, we now have access to ATMs, barcode scanners, smartphones, and social media. More recently, we’ve been introduced to emerging digital technologies like machine learning, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
Understandably, factors of size, scope, scale, and speed of these digital technologies have generated profound concerns regarding potential dangers and risks. In recalling the technologies of our paleolithic ancestors we are familiar with the pros and cons of low-tech, hand-wielding tools. Examples: stone knives that can harm live beings and/or serve domestic purposes: fire that’s capable of destroying things (forests, dwellings) and/or preparing food; language for conveying anger and/or compassion; and so on. We can safely assume that knives, fire, and language are technologies that will exist as long as humans do.
Since this post is limited in size, the scope will be scaled down to focus on one of the two principal modern technologies with inherent potentials for drastically altering life on planet Earth. We begin with considering the role of nuclear power, and follow with artificial intelligence in the next post, Part 2.
Nuclear energy’s technological pros and cons
When a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, nuclear power debuted on the world scene. Both cities and their populations were destroyed, effectively causing the Japanese to surrender and end WWII. Post-war nuclear development led to the peaceful application of nuclear-power plants globally, including some that have experienced catastrophic failures.
Although nuclear energy is recognized as a powerful source for creating electricity, the advantages and disadvantages deserve careful evaluation. Understandably, the nuclear-energy debate involves a host of professional experts presenting substantial arguments for and against continuing development of the technology.
Experts advocating for nuclear energy development are typically connected in some capacity, such as designing, building, managing, promoting, and profiting (financially or politically). Supporters include nuclear engineers, nuclear physicists, energy-policy analysts, and economists. Environmental scientists, another group of pro-nuclear experts, advocate for using nuclear energy as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
With credit to Google AI, here are principal pros and cons, which, as far as I can discern, are substantiated with reputable data:
Pros
Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases during electricity generation, making them a significant contributor to “clean (renewable) energy” and mitigating climate change.
High Power Output: Nuclear plants have a high-capacity factor and can generate large amounts of electricity reliably, providing a stable baseload power supply.
Reliable Power Source: Nuclear plants can operate continuously, unlike solar or wind power, which are intermittent energy sources.
Small Land Footprint: Compared to other clean energy sources like solar and wind, nuclear power plants require a relatively small land area.
Fuel Security: Nuclear fuel is very energy-dense, and refueling is only required every 18-24 months, making nuclear plants less susceptible to fuel supply disruptions.
Public Health Benefits: Studies have shown that replacing fossil fuel-based power generation with nuclear power can significantly reduce deaths caused by air pollution.
Cons
High Initial Costs: Building nuclear power plants is expensive, requiring significant upfront investment.
Radioactive Waste: Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste that remains hazardous for thousands of years, posing a challenge for long-term storage and disposal.
Risk of Accidents: Nuclear accidents, though rare, can have catastrophic consequences for human health and the environment, as demonstrated by Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Nuclear Proliferation Concerns: The same technology used to produce nuclear fuel can be used to create nuclear weapons, raising concerns about proliferation.
Environmental Impacts of Uranium Mining: The mining and processing of uranium ore can have negative environmental impacts, including habitat destruction and water contamination.
Water Usage: Nuclear power plants require large volumes of water for cooling, which can strain water resources in arid regions.
Public Perception: Negative public perception and fear surrounding nuclear power, often due to concerns about safety and waste, can hinder its development.
For an in-depth dive into the negative aspects of nuclear energy, I highly recommend listening to a recent “Overshoot” podcast—Pro-Nuclear Propaganda and Our Future, featuring M. V. Ramana, a physicist and author of Nuclear is Not the Solution.
Professor Ramana identifies nuclear-energy’s major drawbacks as: risks of catastrophic accidents, the accumulation of hazardous wastes, the potential for the creation of nuclear weapons, and the high costs associated with the long timelines for building up nuclear power. He further states that the nuclear industry’s regulatory capture has created one-sided narratives that prevent a rational debate and the post-growth paradigmatic shifts necessary for addressing our social and ecological crises. He concludes that the nuclear industry and its boosters may promise clean, abundant energy, but the nuclear-energy process actually delivers expensive electricity while posing catastrophic radiation risks and a constant threat of nuclear war. I tend to agree with Ramana’s conclusions.
Wrap up
Although we’ve only scratched the surface in discussing all of the issues of concern about modern technologies, especially nuclear energy, this introductory information will suffice. Included links provide additional information.
I cannot recommend strongly enough the Overshoot podcast featuring M.V. Ramana’s eloquently and detailed explanation all of the drawbacks to nuclear energy, especially regarding the continuing pro-nuclear drive to add more nuclear plants globally. Also, the rising concerns about the potential for using nuclear weapons in geopolitical conflicts deserve everyone’s attention. Some informative sources include the following:
• Nuclear Warfare Risk at Highest Point in Decades, Secretary-General Warns Security Council, Urging Largest Arsenal Holders to Find Way Back to Negotiating Table, UN Security Council, (3-18-24).
• Nuclear Threats and the Role of Allies: Remarks by Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, Dr. Vipin Narang at CSIS, U.S. Department of Defense, (8-1-24).
• Role of nuclear weapons grows as geopolitical relations deteriorate, SIPRI Yearbook, (6-17-24).
• Why condemn threats to use nuclear weapons?, ICAN, October 2022., pdf briefing paper
Please return for Part 2, which will focus on the currently hottest high-tech topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the meantime, be aware of all the AI information and uses you’re experiencing in your daily life. I find it mind-boggling, especially the speed at which it’s developing and spreading. Everyone should be deeply concerned, and especially cautious when using AI for information searches.
Remain vigilant . . .
Soooo much to think about out!