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Despite the many benefits technology has brought, it also has
created serious problems. Although technology has enabled people in
the industrialized nations of the world to live better and fuller lives, only
a small part of the world's population enjoys the full benefits of modern

technology.
Moreover, the industrialized nations have been plagued by the
undesirable side effects of technology such as air and water pollution.

These side effects are largely the result of the fact that most
technological innovations were put into use without any consideration or
realization of possible harmful side effects.
Thus, the advent of the automobile opened up wondrous new

possibilities but as more and more automobiles came onto the roads,
traffic, noise, and air pollution from exhaust fumes also came in its
wake. Among the most unwelcome effects of technology have been

environmental pollution and the depletion of the world's natural
resources. Today, most industrialized nations face problems of air,
water, soil, and noise pollution. Although automobile exhaust and

factory smoke and waste are the chief culprits, the products as well as
the processes of industrialization also contribute to pollution.
Thus, some chemical insecticides pollute the soil and water and

also endanger plant and animal life. Power plants that bum coal and oil
to generate electricity spew tons of pollutants into the air. The increased
production techniques brought by technology have also led to a great
depletion of the world's natural resources. As power production

increases to meet ever-increasing production demands, the supply of
fuels is rapidly decreasing. Many fear we are in danger of running out of
oil and other resources that are not replaceable.

Other serious challenges have been created by technology. Perhaps
the most important is controlling nuclear energy. Nuclear weapons
threaten the very existence of our world. Although nuclear energy has
been put to productive uses such as nuclear power plants to generate

electricity, these too have proved to be dangerous. Events such as the
Chernobyl disaster show that nuclear power plants can endanger human
life if radiation leaks into the air. Moreover, disposing of nuclear waste

which remains dangerous for thousands of years is a troublesome
problem that still awaits solution. Still another serious challenge is the
world's growing population which is a direct result of medical

technology and its new drugs and techniques. As life expectancy goes up
and the birth rate rises, population increases cause serious problems in

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