Future Challenges in Society - Coursework Example

Society today faces a number of challenges. These have been brought about largely by the methods we apply to advance technologically, and generally, in our day to day lives. One of these is the impact on the environment. This is a major challenge that faces society today, and one which will cause even more harmful effects in days to come. Pollution is on the rise, from dumping of toxic and non-biodegradable materials in rivers to emission of toxic gases into the environment. When non-biodegradable materials are dumped out in the open, they release toxins that are harmful to organic life. Most electronics, such as monitors, are made of harmful materials, like mercury and lead. When these products are thrown in rivers, the toxins are absorbed by aquatic animals and may make their way up the food chain, eventually reaching humans. If or when this happens, it could lead to ill-health or even death.

When toxins are released into the atmosphere in the form of industrial waste, they cause damage to the ozone layer. The ozone layer is the top part of earths atmosphere. It absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching us on the surface. If damage to the ozone layer continues, it will lead to increase in the number of people contracting skin cancer, which is caused by overexposure to UV radiation.

The most pressing environmental issue is global warming, following atmospheric saturation with greenhouse gases. These gases contain heat within the earths atmosphere. This is known as the greenhouse effect. With increase in emission of greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect is also increased, leading to a large amount of heat being trapped within the atmosphere. This has led to melting of snow and ice caps and a rise in sea level. If nothing is done to curb this, it can only worsen.

Another issue that would affect society in the near future is depleting health and safety of consumers. The health and safety of individuals is put at risk by manufacturers using harmful ingredients in their manufacturing process. For example, phenols are a key ingredient in the manufacture of cleaning agents. These, however, are known to lead to deterioration of the users health by causing serious side effects such as shock, pulmonary distress, delirium, or even death, in extreme cases. Cases like this are many, and if nothing is done to minimize or put them to an end, it could lead to a health crisis of gigantic magnitude.

My role in diminishing the challenge

As an engineer

As an engineer, I can play an active role in helping solve the above issues. For the pollution issue, the key method in fighting it is recycling. As an engineer, when designing products, I can focus on designing my products using biodegradable materials. If this is unachievable, I should ensure that my products are long lasting and made up of parts that are reusable or recyclable. This will reduce dumping of materials in water bodies and other areas.

I could also ensure that I do not use harmful raw materials in my manufacturing process. These materials include lead and mercury. I could do away with them completely, or use them in small non-toxic quantities, in cases where I cannot avoid them fully

As a member of society.

As a member of society, I can help curb the environmental issue facing society by avoiding polluting the environment. I can do this by recycling recyclable materials instead of dumping them anyhow. I can also help ease air pollution by reducing my carbon footprint. This can be achieved by avoiding or minimizing my use of fossil fuels, such as wood and oil. Instead, I should use one of the other eco-friendly fuel sources available, such as solar or wind. I could also reduce my use of automobiles, which emit large amounts of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, opting either to walk or bike.

Opposing arguments to the proposed solutions

The solutions I have suggested above are subject to some opposition. One of them is that it would be expensive and difficult to obtain materials that are efficient, recyclable or biodegradable to be used in the manufacturing of certain products. It could even be claimed that the use of these alternative raw materials could diminish the integrity of the finished product, leading to low quality and non-durable products. This argument has slowed down the rate at which manufacturers are picking up the habit of using non-harmful products in their manufacturing process.

Some of the raw materials used in making certain products, although harmful, are extremely efficient and cheap. For example, phenol used in the manufacture of cleaning products. It is hard for manufacturers to push aside a functioning and cost-effective raw material, so it will be hard to convince them to switch to using something else that may not be as beneficial to them. Since most manufacturers are profit-oriented, they would naturally be against laws that may threaten their profit margins. Most of them are therefore likely to oppose these solutions.