The Technological Earth

               

            Spending a few days last week in the Intag Valley at Carlos’ farm and spending this past week in the Amazon has helped me to realize much about technology. While at the farm, Carlos spoke to our group about his thoughts on technology. He discussed the abundance of natural resources that are used in making items like cell phones, iPods, and computers. The high demand of these products causes producers to destroy precious land of countries, such as Ecuador, that have copious amounts of natural resources. Copper is one of the primary resources.

I realized much by being without technology. I have grown up surrounded by technology. Personally, it was difficult for me to be without those items. I realized how much I use electricity and how I am so used to being able to communicate with others through phones and computers. Carlos stressed his concerns for technology because of the use of so many natural resources. While I agree that it is wrong to use a large amount of natural resources and destroy the beautiful land that Ecuador occupies, I feel that one can still respect the Earth while using technology.

In the Amazon, we stayed at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Clearly, they respect the natural beauty of the Earth. Yet, they use technology during certain hours. I found it very fascinating that they told our group to join the Tiputini Facebook page, if we were interested. Even an organization that was six hours away from civilization, in the middle of the Amazon jungle, had a Facebook page! I was shocked to hear that. However, it made me realize the depths that technology has reached. Technology is helpful for communication if it is used in moderation, promoting a biodiversity station would be a good example of this. I think people that are concerned about technology and its growth need to realize that it’s not the technology itself that is doing the harm to the Earth; it is the people that use it that cause the harm. So many people throw away a working cell phone just to buy the ‘newer’ version, or leave the lights on when they are not in a room. The carelessness of people is what harms the Earth. While I love technology, I also love the Earth, and I feel I can exercise the benefits of technology while preserving the natural resources and breathtaking land on this Earth. Thanks to the beauty of Ecuador, I was able to further realize my love for Earth.