Why Technology Isn't Inherently More Sustainable | Jon Heindel

9/23/22, 2:48 PM

Why Technology Isn’t Inherently More Sustainable | Jon Heindel | Technology

a Why Technology Isn’t Inherently More Sustainable

by Jon Heindel | Sep 23, 2022 | Jon Heindel, Technology

The world of technology is constantly changing. New devices are continually being introduced, and new innovations are happening every day. This makes it hard to keep up with what’s happening in this field or decide whether or not it is inherently more sustainable than other industries. In today’s blog post, we will take a look at why technology isn’t inherently more sustainable than others.

Market growth The first major issue with technology is that it tends to be at the whim of other industries. Consumer demand affects how much research and development (R&D) goes into developing new technologies, directly affecting sustainable https://jonheindel.com/why-technology-isnt-inherently-more-sustainable/

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9/23/22, 2:48 PM

Why Technology Isn’t Inherently More Sustainable | Jon Heindel | Technology

devices’ availability. If people are still buying gas-guzzling vehicles, manufacturers won’t focus their efforts on making electric vehicles.

Unfortunately, this is bad for the environment because it takes away an alternative fuel source.

Tech-specific greenhouse gas emissions One of the major problems with technology is that it has very little room to grow until it reaches its “innovation ceiling.” This means that at some point in time, no more research or development can be done on a given technology (such as semiconductors) because the process will simply take up all the room for growth. Each innovation in the tech field has increased greenhouse gas emissions, with no end in sight. This means that until new breakthroughs are made, each technological advancement will have a larger impact on the environment than previous ones.

Energy consumption Energy consumption is one of the major problems with technology because it requires a constant supply of power to operate. In fact, 14% of all energy used in the US alone goes towards powering data centers. This creates an inherent demand for electricity that must be met.

Disposability Another major issue with technology is that it tends to be very disposable. If you find out that there’s something wrong with your device, or if an upgrade becomes available, you might just be tempted to go out and buy a new one rather than fix the old one.

Technology is not inherently more sustainable than other industries. What this means for the average person is that it’s important to think about how their decisions will affect the environment. Whether you are buying a new device or upgrading old ones, make sure your decision aligns with sustainability goals and doesn’t buy into disposability of tech products.

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9/23/22, 2:48 PM

Why Technology Isn’t Inherently More Sustainable | Jon Heindel | Technology

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