StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Wireless Technology - Environmental Impacts - Coursework Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Wireless Technology - Environmental Impacts" discusses that although most users of wireless technologies are not aware of the existing negative impacts, it is crucial that manufacturers of wireless technologies observed defined rules and regulations to protect the environment. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.3% of users find it useful
Wireless Technology - Environmental Impacts
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Wireless Technology - Environmental Impacts"

Wireless technology Environmental impacts of affiliation 0. IntroductionFor most people, wireless technology presents a means of making life more convenient, comfortable, and effective. However, this does not mean that wireless technology does not have its share of negative impacts on people’s lives. Scientists and human health activists continually raise concerns over the mostly neglected negative impacts of wireless technology. Wireless technologies’ penetration to the remotest parts of the world today has made wireless technology impact the lives of humans both intentionally and unintentionally. While most of the impacts on human lives have been positive, considerable hazards have also been associated to wireless technology particularly on the environment. Compared to the positive impacts, negative impacts of wireless technology on the environment are dependent on prolonged exposure linked to long-term use in moving people and goods, offering public services, powering the future, and nourishing people. In addition, wireless technology has made way into home, workplaces, and schools increasing concerns over the impacts on the environment in all these areas. This section focuses on both the negative and positive impacts that wireless technology has on the environment. The areas of study include hazards to humans, resources depletion, inventions’ discovery, and impact on wildlife, pollution of air and water, and short-lived and long-lived waste disposal impacts. Other areas of study include endangering of species, spotted owl and deforestation, and positive impacts like the case of Alaskan pipeline. 1.1. Negative impacts on humans In terms of public health, mobile phones and other wireless telecommunication devices involve information transmission using radio waves. Radio frequency waves are non-ionizing and this implies that they are not as strong to affect the atomic structures that they contact (U.S environmental Protection Agency, 2014). This is to say that RF waves neither break any chemical bond within human body nor cause any human atom to charge negatively or positively. Radio frequency waves linked to wireless technology arise from fixed network of antennas or base stations, industrial sources like cell towers, personal and domestic appliances, commercial surveillance systems, WLAN, WiFi, and WiMAX networks. According to Sage & Carpenter (2009), RF waves form the main element of wireless communications and have the capacity to increase the information volume transferred with time. As a result, multiple frequency bands are in use for wireless communication. However, RF is electromagnetic fields and prolonged exposure to EMF result to adverse health consequences. 1.1.1. Short-term impacts When humans are exposed to high RF levels, heat creation is possible and this could heat human tissue quickly analogous to the principle of microwave ovens heating food (U.S environmental Protection Agency, 2014). During mobile use, most RF energy is absorbed into the human skin among other superficial tissues causing negligible increment in brain temperature or other organs (World Health Organization, 2011). 1.1.2. Long-term impacts The two primary long-termed impacts of exposure to RF include brain tumours and cancers. Sage & Carpenter (2009) highlight that malignant brain tumours or cancer link to prolonged exposure to RF waves particularly individuals who have used mobile phones for over 10 years. Additionally, prolonged exposure to ELF and RF waves result to DNA damage for both single and double stranded DNAs resulting to mutations inherited to cause cancer in future generations. Further, Sage & Carpenter (2009) reveal that exposure to ELF and RF results to the development of stress proteins in form of heat shock proteins that alert the cell of present physiological stress. Other impacts include sleep, cognitive function, and performance decrease. 1.2. Wireless technology and natural resources Critical Friends of Technology (2003), highlight that with the manufacture of volumes of wireless devices, the level of toxicity to the environment increases. Some of the toxic chemicals include Arsenic, lead, antimony, copper, beryllium, nickel, cadmium, and zinc. These chemicals are found in wireless device’s components and batteries. Additionally, the plastic components in mobile devices include bromated flame retardants are toxic. With the high volumes of production of wireless devices, it is clear that toxic garbage is massive and this is a threat to natural resources like water, air, and wild animals. This is particularly the case in developing countries that have fewer infrastructures to promote recovery and recycling programs. With electronic waste from the wireless devices on the rise, the environment suffers from e-waste landfills from laptops, mobile phones, and smart phones and iPods. In the landfills, toxic chemicals find their way into the soil and underground water resources. Consequently, intoxicated water reservoirs cause deaths to aquatic life making the reservoirs inhabitable. Further, the formation of most wireless devices call for minerals as raw materials hence involve mining. Mining minerals like gold, Tin, Tungsten, and titanium cause deforestation, land dilapidation, and disturbance of the ecosystem. Gold is used to coat interior cabling of computerized devices, while the vibration function of the phone depends on tungsten (Buxbaum, 2013). In order to have wireless devices powered using batteries that store charge after unplugging from electrical sources, Titanium is the metal used. Finally, mobile phone circuit boards use tin solder. For instance, Democratic Republic of Congo that is a source of these minerals suffers deforestation that has displaced wildlife and birds while stirring war as people conflict for resources. (Buxbaum, 2013). Other examples of negative impacts of deforestation are the dislodgment and deaths of huge gorilla populations since conflicting sides underestimate the impacts of their mining on wildlife. At Tennessee in the United States, environment protection reinforcement is through the Endangered Species Act or ESA that prevented the formation of Tellico Dam along the river to protect the Darter Snail fish that could only survive in muddy shallow water and not deep water of the dam. US multinationals do not observe such environmental protection regulations with mineral interests in nations like Congo resulting to striping soil off nutrients, over-mining, and loss of habitats. After mining, the workers in processing factories work under exposure to toxic solvents, and flame retardants that cause miscarriages in pregnant women working in chip manufacturing. Further, e-waste management involving burning results to the production of vaporized solvents like barium, lead, and cadmium that when breathed impact human health. For nations like US, the volume of e-waste is high and illegal channels are used to get such waste into nations like Vietnam and China as well as African nations causing landfill. As people make a living by dismantling such waste for informal recycling, heavy toxic metals contaminate the environment. 1.3. Positive impact of technology The discussion focuses on three positive impacts of wireless technology g that include saving of fossil fuels, little or no impact on the environment, and environment enhancement. When compared to travelling, delivery of information using wireless technology has resulted to reduction of the dependence on fossil fuel as a raw material for vehicles used for travelling from one place to the other (Toffel & Horvath, 2004). Additionally, wireless devices like mobile phones reduced the carbon dioxide emission given that one only has to call regardless of the geographical locations of the sender and recipient. The impact to the environment is reduced through reduced dependence on fossil fuel. When people adapt technologies like iPADs as a means of reading e-newspapers, the impact is reduced dependence on papers and other raw materials to produce newspapers (Toffel & Horvath, 2004). The Alaskan pipeline is an example of positive impacts of wireless technology on the environment. With the construction of the pipeline, the populations located along the above-the-ground pipeline like Caribou, have enjoyed numerous benefits including healthier populations due to shade from the pipeline in summer and warmth from the pipeline during winter. Additionally, the caribou population experiences fewer bites from flies, while their females suffer from less stress. 1.4. Conclusion Although most users of wireless technologies are not aware of the existing negative impacts, it is crucial that manufacturers of wireless technologies observed defined rules and regulations to protect the environment. Environment protection should begin from attainment of raw materials to the recycling of wireless technology devices in the safest way possible. References Buxbaum, M. (2013, May). Behind the Screens: Conflict Minerals and Toxic Waste. Retrieved from Inspiration Green: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/minerals-that-cause-war.html Critical Friends of Technology. (2003). A social Ecology of Wireless Technology. First Monday, 8(8), xxx-xxx. Sage, C., & Carpenter, O. D. (2009). Public Health Implications of Wireless technologies. Pathophysiology, 603, 1-14. Toffel, M. W., & Horvath, A. (2004). Environmental Implications of Wireles Techologies: News Delivery and Business meetings. Environmental Science and Technology, xx(xx), A-I. U.S environmental Protection Agency. (2014, August 06). Wireless Technology. Retrieved from U.S environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/radtown/wireless-tech.html World Health Organization. (2011, June). Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: Mobile Phones. Retrieved from World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/ Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Wireless technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/information-technology/1654250-wireless-technology
(Wireless Technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/information-technology/1654250-wireless-technology.
“Wireless Technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/information-technology/1654250-wireless-technology.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Wireless Technology - Environmental Impacts

An Inventor Company Marketing Mix

Presence of multi-media technology developments for marketing/advertising.... From the paper "An Inventor Company Marketing Mix" it is clear that to meet the objective of product diversification, increased revenue, and customer base, an inventor should offer the best and highly competitive wireless mini hairdryer in the market.... The analysis focuses on a wireless mini Hairdryer market, competitive environment and the costs involved.... Under an inventor's strategic marketing plan/approach, it will continuously monitor potential benefits/opportunities offered by the new line of products/a wireless mini Hairdryer to ascertain its financial viability ((Errigo & Zempol 2011, p....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Wireless network technology

ut just like any inventions, mobile devices are said to have environmental and health hazard issues.... he advent of mobile devices or phones chronicles the development of technology of the radio telephones.... The comfort of having this technology seems so inevitable, proving that man is endlessly inventing technologies to further life's advancement.... n any race, culture, lifestyle or even age, one has to have this technology in order to fit in the fast-paced life....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Information Technology - questions to answer

It is clearly seen in the last few years that the wage gap between the U.... .... and Asian qualified employers is narrowing.... Therefore the cost of savings of outsourcing the work may soon decrease.... But what is more significant, in the modern world it is so hard to find low-cost talented specialist as it was 30 years ago, when corporations were limited by only U....
15 Pages (3750 words) Essay

Regulatory hallenges in a Wireless World

Advancement in wireless technology is "climate proofing", where wireless communication devices are designed to fit the climatic conditions of the country they are to be distributed and marketed to ("A social ecology of wireless technology").... 1984 saw the beginning of a brand new era in the history of communications: the wireless era.... Customer response to the new wireless products was astounding, and this response rapidly turned into a race to see who can conquer the new wireless world....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Application of Wireless Technology in the Educational System

The paper "Application of wireless technology in the Educational System" presents a detailed overview of the wireless technology-based educational environment.... At the present, there are extensive developments in the areas of the wireless technology sector.... The advancement in wireless technology presently emerged to extensive limits.... High bandwidth and modern features of wireless technology are available in the field of education....
6 Pages (1500 words) Term Paper

Impact of Ubiquitous Sensors

It, therefore, implies that wireless sensor is a companion of RFID.... NFC is a short-range of wireless technologies requiring a distance of 4 centimeters or less than that to initiate the connection.... This paper ''Impact of Ubiquitous Sensors'' tells us that the ubiquitous sensor network is a conceptual network built over existing physical networks, which make use of sensed information....
4 Pages (1000 words) Admission/Application Essay

Regulatory Challenges Raised by an Increasingly Wireless World

The applications of wireless technology, exemplified by the internet must also be regulated and a set of laws and policies must be made to prevent the use and abuse of these applications.... Advancement in wireless technology is 'climate-proofing', where wireless communication devices are designed to fit the climatic conditions of the country they are to be distributed and marketed to ('A social ecology of wireless technology').... The paper "Regulatory Challenges Raised by an Increasingly Wireless World" states that it must be remembered that the wireless technologies have tremendous positive impacts in the advancement of human society and the repercussions they entail must be lessened so that we may optimize these benefits....
8 Pages (2000 words) Coursework

Mobile and Wireless Technology: Trends on the Rise

The paper titled 'Mobile and wireless technology: Trends on the Rise' was an attempt to explain and describe trends on mobile and wireless technology prevalent in today's world, especially with regard to the global business scenario.... It was found that mobile and wireless technology play a vital role in several aspects of the business.... With the advancements in the fields of mobile and wireless technology, the world is becoming a smaller place every day....
32 Pages (8000 words) Dissertation
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us