Technology : Costing the Earth?

Technology : Costing the Earth?What effect does technology have on the environment?

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Learning IntentionsTo understand and reflect on environmental and social impacts that the development of technology has on society in Scotland and World Wide.

To calculate the cost of how much three PCs would cost to run for a year.

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The FactsAround 7 billion people on the planet.325 million computers have been sold worldwide in 2010.48 million TV sets sold world wide each day.30 million mobile phones sold every year. United Nations stated there are 6 billion mobile phone subscriptions world wide. ( But only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush.)2 billion internet users world wide.

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What does technology do to the environment?Work in table groups and create a mind map:What are the negative effects technology has on the environment. You have 5 minutes

What are the positive effects technology has on the environment. You have 5 minutes

Carbon Footprint

Computer systems contribute about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions.This is nearly the same amount as the airline industry.

It is estimated that spending a minute on the internet and create 1.2 grams of CO2 emissions.

This is the same amount as driving a Kilometre in a modern, fuel efficient car.

Technology life cycle

Chemicals and Materials are mined and gathered.

Sent to manufacturersTechnology is built.

Sent to storesConsumer buys product(maybe two)

Within two years

product is obsolete

Products thrown away and consumer buys new product

E-WasteMost old computer hardware that is supposed to be recycled but are actually shipped off to developing countries and scraped by impoverished workers. ( This also includes the use of child labour.)

In the UK alone, at least 23,000 metric tonnes of undeclared or 'grey' market electronic waste was illegally shipped in 2003 to the Far East, India, Africa and China.

Carbon Footprint Is there a positive?On-Board computers in cars help the driver reduce fuel consumption.Smart meters and sensors that are attached to networks and help turn off electrical appliances and adjusting lighting to save energy.Video conferencing can provide world wide meetings without anyone having to leave their offices.Computer systems and cloud computing helps prevent the destruction of forest by reducing paper.

Energy Use

Our computers use up lots of energy! An average desktop PC can use around 140 watts. A high spec, Alienware, gaming PC can use up to 856 watts!

How much does that cost me?Power the computer uses = _______ Watts

Energy used for a full day = ________ Watts X 24 hours = ________ Watt Hours

Energy used for whole year = ______ Watt Hours x 365 days = ________ Watt Hours Cost for the year = _________ Watt Hours X 0.01p = __________

Forrester energy company charges 0.01p per watt hour for our energy

Task 1 How much does it cost?Go to the website www.dabs.comFind three PCs / Laptops (low, medium and high spec) and tell me the following information:Name of the PC / Laptop,Picture of the PC / Laptop , Price of the PC / Laptop,Hard drive capacity, Memory ,Power (Watts),Amount of energy it will use if it ran continuously for a year,Amount it will cost to run for the year if it costs 0.01p per Watt Hour.

Task 2 What can I do to help?You are to create an android app or a piece of software that will help the use to do one of the following things:

Calculate the cost of a new pc to run each day / year

To provide information about how technology effect the environment.

Use the worksheet to help you.

Success CriteriaI can discuss the impact that technology has on society and the environment. I can calculate the cost of running a PC for a whole year. 14July 22, 2012Footer text here