Application of Technology for Social Change & the Environment

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Technology, Global Environment & Social Change

We live in a globalized world where international relations and interdependence with the markets and social settings of other nations has become the norm. Consider for example the American economy - any small town America will have stores and retail outlets dependent upon imported goods from Chinese factories due to China's lower labour costs and gargantuan manufacturing infrastructure producing goods at affordable levels. Call centers for retail companies and service call support centers are provided for, highly likely by Manila-based business process outsourcing companies, and all these are elements of everyday American life. But this demand of goods and services impact the environment heavily when manufacturing and service provision mean the utilization of natural resources in unprecedented and unregulated manners in cities and towns wherein environmental preservation and sustainability is not a major concern if they don't impact economic growth. Kahn and Yardley (2007) report that industrial pollution has led to severe environmental degradation across manufacturing and urban centers in China and that 500 million Chinese are without safe drinking water while 560 million city dwellers breathe in part of the 'toxic gray cloud' that leads to 550,000 premature death by ambient air pollution per annum. In Manila, 11 million people ...