Small Is Beautiful Essay

Truc Thi Thanh Tran

Amethyst

The advantages and disadvantages of technologies lead to many debates. Human beings has developed technologies rapidly. It solves many problems and help us to improve our life conditions. Emergence of new and modern technologies make our life more convenient and comfortable. Technology help human beings able to contact from distance by media, or limit the risk of dangerous works by using robots, able to travel around the world by plane, etc. However, we have to admit that technological inventions and success also cause other new problems. If we do not create and apply technology properly, it will create more problems. In chapter 2, Peace and Permanence, of "Small is Beautiful" written by E. F. Schumacher, he mentioned,

As an example, Schumacher talked about the risk of thermal pollution due to the pace of nuclear energy (“Small is Beautiful” 12). Nuclear energy cause lots of problems of pollution. Nuclear energy discharges radioactive waste that is very difficult to dispose. Leakage of radiation in the air causes the danger for human beings' life. It is one the causes of cancer. Moreover, water in cooling system to cool the hot reactor become poisoning, it releases into lakes, rivers, and lead to water pollution. Water pollution kills many organisms and cause the danger for people's health (“The Energy Problem”). Beside the damages of nuclear power, there are many other technologies that are harmful to the environment. Car technology has developed, the consequence is the large number of car wastes are discharged into the atmosphere, polluting the air. Currently, many factories appear increasingly. Many factories directly discharge untreated industrial waste into rivers and the seas causing serious water pollution. This is a serious problem, especially the countries in the process of industrialization and modernization, the developing countries, need to pay attention. Technology is not only cause the problems of environment, but it is also effect problems of

Schumacher stated that, “The development of science and technology over the last hundred years have been such that dangers have grown even faster than the opportunities” (“Small is Beautiful” 13). There is a statement, “there is a renewed concern that technological advancement may displace much of the manufacturing (and other) work force, creating widespread unemployment”. According to the statistic, the existence of 50,000 to 100,000 industrial robots resulting the loss of 100,000 jobs (“Does More Technology Create Unemployment?”). In a view, it is a good thing that many companies and factories are no need to hire many labors. However, in the other hand, about 100,000 people are lose their jobs. It is a notable number. Moreover, there are many consequences after the loss of many jobs. Many people become unemployment. The unemployment lead to the decrease of economic income of themselves and their families. Decrease of income lead to the decrease of goods demand. If national unemployment rate increases dramatically, it will affect the social economy; additionally, technology causes the problem of