The Anthropocene

A project by Fotis Makris and Zoe Manouseli

Class: C32nd Experimental Junior High

School of Athens2017

Teacher: Dimitra Dertili

Humankind is responsible for the massive use of fossil fuels which has changed the atmosphere and temperature of the planet. Toxins and plastic are an accumulating problem of the oceans, land and air, while technology is becoming our second if not our first nature. Discuss:

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Table of contents:• Introduction (s1)• Table of contents (s2)• Chapter I : What are fossil fuels? (s3)• Chapter II : The benefits of fossil fuels. (s4)• Chapter III : The drawbacks of fossil fuel usage. (s6)• Chapter IV : Alternatives to fossil fuels. (s9)• Chapter V : What the evolution of technology has brought us. (s12)• Chapter VI : Technology, a double edged knife.(s16)• Chapter VII : Technology, what the future holds. (s22)• Chapter VIII : Summary (s27)

What are fossil fuels?• Lately, the mater of fossil fuel usage has been widely discussed all over the world.

But what exactly are fossil fuels. They are best defined as substances commonly used as fuel which primarily consist of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). They are formed throughout millions of years by the decomposition of dead plants and animals under extreme pressure, heat and lack of oxygen. Such substances are for example petroleum, coal and natural gas. We use them on a daily basis without thinking too much about it, but are they really something that should be taken for granted?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://www.petroleum.co.uk/images/petroleum.jpg

The benefits of fossil fuels So why is it that these fuels are so widely used throughout the world? Well, for a number of reasons:• Most notably they hold within them great amounts of energy that can

by very easily harvested by burning them, henceforth making them humanity’s main way of producing energy. When ignited, these flammable solutions radiate great amounts of heat which can either be directly used for example for heating and cooking or be converted to electricity, powering all sorts of devices.

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The benefits of fossil fuels• Furthermore, they are

abundant and relatively easy to find, thus they make a good source of energy.• Lastly their stability as

chemical substances and their ability to be easily transported make them versatile as they enable them to be used virtually anywhere.

http://fuelgascompression.com/advantages-disadvantages-of-fossil-fuel-use/

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The drawbacks of fossil fuel usage As we mentioned before, fossil fuel usage has been widely discussed over the past few years. That is because however useful they may be they have many disadvantages to which they owe the controversy that surrounds them.• For a start, they are finite. Although they can be reformed, the

process takes millions of years and can in no way compensate for the human exploitation of these fuels.• Moreover the mining of coal and oil destroys the environment, not to

mention accidents in which case large amounts of oil can end up in the ocean poisoning all forms of nearby life.

http://fuelgascompression.com/advantages-disadvantages-of-fossil-fuel-use/

The drawbacks of fossil fuel usage• The combustion of these chemicals

produces carbon dioxide and monoxide, gases which not only are directly harmful to us but are also the cause of one of the most well known phenomena: the greenhouse effect.

This is a phenomenon in which light from the sun that is reflected off the earth is redirected by fumes in the atmosphere back to the planet. Under normal conditions this is a vital mechanism for life on earth as it helps preserve heat on the planet. However, due to the density of fumes in the atmosphere, more light is being sent back causing the warming of the planet.

http://fuelgascompression.com/advantages-disadvantages-of-fossil-fuel-use/

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The drawbacks of fossil fuels• Acid rain is also one of the most famous effects

of fossil fuel usage.This phenomenon refers to the high concentration of acidic substances in rainwater. This can cause harm to the environment as it can alter a water body’s pH and make the ecosystem hostile to its occupants.• Furthermore acids are volatile substances that

react with many material and therefore are highly corrosive. As a result constructions of metal and marble are in imminent danger.

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php

http://images.wisegeek.com/polluted-water-with-dead-fish.jpg

Alternative to fossil fuels Over the past few years scientists have concluded that humanity will not be able to sustain itself on fossil fuels for long and therefore they have searched for new renewable energy resources. These are:• Wind power:We can use the wind to generate electricity by using wind turbines which makes the wind’s force spin and converts that energy into electricity.• Solar energy: Light is also a form of energy that can be easily harvested in various ways. Most commonly solar panels can be placed in areas with long hours of sunshine to collect energy and power various devices. Apart from that, we have solar architecture which means that houses are designed to get the most out of the sun and minimalize the need of electricity powered devices.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy#Wind_power

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Alternatives to fossil fuels• Hydropower is a wide term that

includes many ways of collecting energy through the use of water.

Matter which is higher up possesses more dynamic energy. This is fact is used in power plants where water’s flow from higher to lower areas is used to rotate a turbine that in turn produces electricity.But this is not all there is to it, the force of tide and waves in the sea can also be harvested to generate electrical power. http://www.ei

a.gov/energyexplained/images/hydro%20copy.pnghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy#Hydr

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Alternatives to fossil fuels• Geothermal energyThis term refers to the energy hidden deep beneath the earth’s crust which can also be harvested for human use. This however is restrained to areas with many volcanoes where geothermal energy is found abundant.• Nuclear energy Last but not least we have this infamous form of energy. Nuclear fission is used in power plants to generate heat and through steam convert it to electricity. This form is energy however has two major setbacks. Firstly our inability to safely rid ourselves of nuclear waste, a product of this process. And secondly the fact that nuclear explosions can flatten entire cities and affect the whole world with the escaping radiation, therefore rendering any accident disastrous.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power

What the evolution of technology has brought to usAll of these innovative ideas in which we can use in our environment are merely a result of the rapid evolution of our technology that is currently an its peak, with new inventions and ideas being introduced every day. Each and every of these technological achievements has the purpose of improving our everyday life whether that be by simplifying our daily tasks or giving us completely new opportunities in entertainment and communication. From the robots that can manufacture millions of goods in mere minutes to the internet which enables us to access virtually any information in the entire world, each of these inventions plays an important part in our daily lives.

What the evolution of technology has brought usContrary to the evolution of life where variations of an existing form are introduced over a long period of time, technological evolution uses our knowledge of the world to produce new ideas and therefore can take place in a much smaller period of time. This can explain the speed in which technological evolution takes place in our era.

http://bigthink.com/hybrid-reality/the-evolution-of-technologyhttp://smallbizeconomist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/evolution-science-tech-756x250.jpg

What the evolution of technology has brought us

One of the most impactful innovations of the past century is the Internet, this is due to the social impact it has had on the entire world. It can be accessed virtually anywhere at any time and it enables us to share unlimited amounts of information with people on the other side of the globe thousands of miles away. Many people use it to access news or satisfy their personal interests and curiosities through various websites while other find it a helpful means of communication by using all sorts of social media like Facebook, twitter, etc.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet#Social_impact

What the evolution of technology has brought usFurthermore advances in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine have helped us better understand how the world works as well as dramatically improve our lives. Think that children born today have a life expectancy of approximately 100 years whereas people used to die at an early age from diseases that are now only found in the most underdeveloped parts of our world or are considered now harmless. Every time we catch a cold we usually take some medicine, stay in bed for a few days and that’s all, we don’t think that we are in danger since we have doctors and medicine that will save us.

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Technology, a double edged knifeThe aforementioned are but a few examples of the ways in which technology has helped us. However we must not forget that all things have a negative side and so does technology. Many problems can occur as many threats lurk in the shadows behind these amazing technological achievements. Nevertheless technology is decisively something positive as it is and should be a tool at our disposal. As with any tool the effects of its use are the results of the user’s actions. Hence we ought to know what the dangers are and how to avoid them and make the most out of technology.

Technology, a double edged knifeOne of the biggest threats technological advance poses is due to the aforementioned fact that it is not limited by time as human evolution is. This begs the question: Will we be able to cope with the rapid evolution of technology and its complexity or will this very evolution backfire, with the visions of some futurists, according to which machines rule the earth, coming true.

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http://bigthink.com/hybrid-reality/the-evolution-of-technology

Technology, a double edged knifeThe dominion of machines over man in the future is not much of a new concept, in fact it is an idea that has been very popular with sci-fi movies where robots develop intelligence and emotions. And its isn’t too far-fetched of an idea, AI (artificial intelligence) is already being used in drones, self-driving cars, search engines such as Google search, online assistants and much more. The term AI is applied when a machine performs actions associated with human learning and problem solving for example. Sometimes AI can surpass even human intelligence such as in the well known example of a computer beating a human at chess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence

Technology, a double edged knifeWhile these fears of machines coming to life might seem unrealistic to some, there are other more tangible problems concerning technology.It seems that while machines keep getting more advanced and sophisticated, the average person of the current generation seems less intelligent than those of the previous one. This is only natural, when someone has everything handed to him on a silver plate he is hardly motivated to think and act for himself. Students in schools use calculators for their math exercises, and while the ability to omit doing calculations that would take hours and could potentially be mistaken is certainly beneficial, the use of this device prevents us from exercising our brain, the same can be said about the auto correction system computers have that makes learning proper spelling seem like a waste of time. Even handwriting has been proved to enhance people’s ability to read, comprehend a text, as well as improve memory, critical thinking and creativity.

http://www.pens.com/blog/the-benefits-of-handwriting-vs-typing/http://www.useoftechnology.com/modern-technology-advantages-disadvantages/

Technology, a double edged knifeAnother fear we have that stems from technology, one which is quite popular, is the one of machines replacing humans in industry. Robots can do the same work as humans on a massive scale-much more than we can. Already, there are machines producing all sorts of goods from silk carpets to edible products such as candy and much more. This leads of course to large problems of unemployment since industries employ millions of people. Definitely handmade products have a different quality but the cheaper mass produced goods are more accessible to the public.

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http://www.useoftechnology.com/modern-technology-advantages-disadvantages/

Technology, a double edged knifeAs we have mentioned before, technology and primarily the Internet has had a great social impact allowing for communication throughout the world. This impact is not all good however, what is the point of having hundreds of friends online none of which you actually know? All of these so called social media enable us to make friends with anyone but can you call someone you haven’t really met your friend? Yet this number tricks you into thinking that you don’t have to head outside to socialize, which can result to loneliness.

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http://www.useoftechnology.com/modern-technology-advantages-disadvantages/

Technology, what the future holdsAs technology evolves in such a rapid rate it is more than likely that our generation will live to see many technological advances that are now inconceivable to us. Whether this will be good or bad is for now hard to say but it is certain to happen.

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Technology, what the future holdsOne of the things certain to happen in the future is the further exploration of outer space. A return to the moon is already planned by NASA and space colonies don’t seem to be too far in the future either. Going on a vacation to the moon wouldn’t of course be feasible for everyone due to the astronomical costs but the wealthy adventure fan will not be left disappointed.

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http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/future-tech/10-futurist-predictions-in-the-world-of-technology2.htm

Technology, what the future holdsThe improvement of technology leads to the improvement of living conditions for everyone which will result in the rise of the world’s population and therefore the rise in demand for food. Fortunately architecture has a solution to this problem, floating farms! Architect Javier Ponce has come up with a design that shows a 24m high, three tiered structure complete with solar panels that provide energy. These floating farms would not only produce fruit and vegetables but are also designed to have fish on their bottom layer.

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http://www.sciencefocus.com/feature/future/future-technology-22-ideas-about-change-our-world

Technology, what the future holdsWith the evolution of technology there has been a change in the pace with which the world works, everything has become faster. That is why the invention of a train that will move on 760mph doesn’t seem impossible. This train will move through a vacuum tube, propelled by compressed air and magnetic motors. It is estimated that it will be able to complete trips that now last 7.5 hours in a mere 35 minutes.

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http://www.sciencefocus.com/feature/future/future-technology-22-ideas-about-change-our-world

Technology, what the future holdsWhile drones are already quite popular, space drones are an idea NASA has requested designers to develop so that they can work inside space stations. The main problems scientist will have to overcome in developing these are the facts that ,firstly, in space there is no up and down so a new way of navigation would have to be invented and secondly that space stations are typically a small space, not big enough for drones to mavoeuvre around.

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SummaryIn conclusion, the progress of technology has vastly affected the way we live, it has enabled us to harvest our planet’s resources such as fossil fuels and use them to our advantage. Many things both good and bad have derived from this and although the effects of technological innovations can certainly be very extraordinary and can greatly improve our lives we must be wary of the fact that every coin has two sides. Therefore we ought to be alert and use the power that technology bestows upon us in a way that will not end up doing us more harm than good as is often the case. We must remember that the purpose of technology is to make our lives easier and simpler, hence it shouldn’t make them more complicated.

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