English - reflection - Essay Example

Reflection- “It Always Costs” by David Suzuki David Suzuki is one of the most renowned environmental activists and scientists in Canada. He has conducted many experiments to prove the hazardous effects that are being witnessed due to the use of artificial and technological inventions. He has written many articles regarding the same issues and aims to create awareness about the adverse effects of technology with his activities. The chosen article, ‘It always costs’, is also one of his similar endeavors.

Technology has integrated deeply in our lives. An invention that makes its place in the lives of individuals does not get shunned out unless it is proved to have highly dangerous effects. Therefore, David Suzuki condemns the usage of technology without being sure about its safety and possible side effects. He gave the example of the usage of DDT that is used to eradicate mosquitoes from the environment. Its usage has caused such a diverse range of effects that never could have been predicted by the scientists, for example its concentration in different living things when transferred up in the food chain (biomagnifications), the accumulation of it in shell glands of the birds that causes the thinning of the egg shell, affects of oral contraceptives on women etc.

He condemned the latest technologies by stating, “technological innovations have had detrimental side effects that eventually outweighed their benefits” (347). In his article, he proposed a wishful proposition of appointing certain number of people from the society as representatives who can assess the benefits and cost of any technology before its common usage and decide if it is hazardous or not. The cost and benefit analysis should be done in an unbiased manner with the aim of judging its effects on all living things.

However, such kind of assessment would also not be fruitful since some technologies do not show their adverse effects until after number of years of usage. He contradicts his own proposal by stating further in the article that “we could never anticipate all the fluctuation conditions in the sensitive area” (348). After reading the respective article, it can be concluded that technology benefits the societies and lifestyles, as well as causes dangerous effects. At first, the technology might be working for the betterment of the mankind and making life convenient but the consequences of its usage (for an elongated period of time) may be hazardous and cannot be predicted.

Suzuki terms these negative impacts as ‘costs’ and stated, “if every technology has a cost, the more powerful the technology, the greater its potential cost” (349). He concluded his article with useful advice that people should not assume the possession of complete information about anything; rather they should stay humble and keep exploring things. He also advised that technology should be used if its usage is very vital because history shows bad consequences of most of the technologies that have been invented by man.

One should adapt the natural way of doing things and depend on technology only when there is no alternate way. References Suzuki, David. ”It always costs”, Essay Writing for Canadian students, Prentice Hall, pp. 347-349, 2007. Print.