At first glance it definitely seems to be off the table as you could probably do everything you do on a daily basis without it. Technology is a convenience at its core but how great of a convenience can it be? Let's say I wanted to send a letter to someone on the other side of the earth. I'm sure the emissions used to send a physical letter would greatly outweigh that of an email. I believe technology is such a significant convenience that it has basically become a necessity. Technology integrates us and lets our ideas cover vast audiences. It's what allows these kinds of discussions to exist. Just think of what these climate change awareness campaigns would be like without it.

Technology is definitely not off the table. Technology is what has allowed us to create clean, renewable sources of energy, and it has therefore enabled us to reduce our CO2 emissions. Although it is helpful, it can also be abused. For example, most people leave their cell-phone chargers plugged in even when the chargers aren't being used. If these chargers were unplugged, up to 4,000 watts could be saved a year, which adds up to a lot of saved money and a lot of saved energy! Technology such as smart power strips turn off extra electronics when they detect a main unit (like a TV or computer) has been turned off, because it's estimated that 5% of US electricity is wasted on products that are turned off. Even putting a laptop in sleep mode uses 70% less power than normal. Additionally, leaving on a game console such as an Xbox or Playstation uses as much energy as three 60-watt lightbulbs, and leaving a big TV turned on uses as much energy as six 60-watt lightbulbs. Technology is an amazing tool and is a necessity to our world today, so going green doesn't involve cutting  technology out of the picture, but it does involve being smarter and more aware about how much energy technology can waste and how to stop that from happening.

All though technology can allow us to create clean and renewable sources of energy it has made us waste a lot of energy as well. Not turning off lights and leaving cell phone chargers plugged in wastes an excessive amount of energy and releases more CO2 into our atmosphere. Doing simple tasks such as always turning off lights when not in use, or only using air conditioning when necessary could do the Earth wonders. I agree with you because how our world is now, we will never go back to no technology. Technology benefits us in numerous ways and should be used as a way to advance our learning and make the world a better place. Therefore we should use energy and technology wisely and the Earth will become healthier in a timely manner. If we all conserved energy its a win for everyone; We save money, help the Earth, and breath cleaner air.

I agree that it has definitely made us waste tons of energy but I believe that advances in technology has mitigated a good portion of the energy that we waste yearly. Innovations such as the smart power strips that Miranda has mentioned and great inventions such as the cfl bulbs that produce 3000 less lbs of CO2 for every 30 bulbs per year than incandescents has surely lessened the consequences to our energy wasting tendencies. I believe with further advances in technology the energy we waste will be reduced so much that it wouldn't really be a problem anymore.

Just saying technology is entirely wasteful and unnecessary is false, when there's nothing to back the statement up. Norman, Miranda, and Aurora make extremely valid points; technology is actually extremely necessary. We can think back to the ages without technological advances. Sure, there was less pollution then, but just the state of the environment doesn't equate to perfection. Nobody really cared about the environment before, it's only now that we actually have the technology and resources that we can do so. Just because certain effects of technology are responsible for hurting the earth, it doesn't mean all should be construed as bad. Most can agree that our societies and habits are much better nowadays than compared to the stone age. Instead of making the broad statement of "technology is unnecessary, therefore we should eliminate the use of it", we should focus on advancing the technology we use, and find more environmentally friendly alternatives. It's not technology that's bad, rather it's the way we, as humans, use it so it becomes detimental to the world.

Technology is a necessity but there is a limit on how necessary it is. Toddlers don't need to have there own iPad and phones and a house doesn't need to have a TV in every room. Technology is great but comes with a price. As kids we sacrifice freedom for connectivity. Twenty years ago someone could go out all day and their parents wouldn't know where they were all the time, but now phones give parents 24/7 access to their kids. Technology can save lives, but some people take it to far and let it control their lives. It can cut people off from one another if you let it. I'm not saying that its bad but I think mankind could definitely survive at least a little relief from technology that would benefit the environment.