AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Technology is a very important aspect of human life. It offers the promise of a better life and inadvertently makes life easier for everyone who embraces it and moves with its tide. Many times, we are so impressed by how far the world has come in terms of technological advancements that we do not pause to consider their effects on our environment. This paper examined the effects of technology on the environment. The research methodology adopted is doctrinal legal research, relying on both primary and secondary sources of law. The paper finds that technology can have both positive and negative effects on the environment, with the negative effects being numerous and more glaring. There exist green procurement strategies for technology acquisition, use, and disposal, including green technologies or green ICTs. The study also finds that advancement in technology does not have to be an environmental taboo because technology can and even has the role of curing environmental problems. The paper concludes that just as technology cannot exist void of the environment, the environment also cannot be whole outside of technology. Makers and users of technological accessories must be conscious of the environment and pursue sustainability.