Amb. Franzille J.

Bracamonte September 17, 2019

GE 7 – Final Examination

Within the past decade, significant breakthroughs and advancements in the field of science and
technology have brought aid, power, and solutions to the pressing challenges in today’s world.
Although, its impacts aren’t felt equally due to the differing statuses of each country (e.g. First-
world countries like the US have advantage (technologically) as compared to Third-world
countries like Burundi in Central Africa, which is economically underdeveloped and not as
industrialized.) The 21st century has been a hallmark of innovations, yet also the time wherein
numerous global issues have surfaced—specifically concerning the environment, energy,
poverty, health, and food security—that mostly stem from competition in globalization and
regional integration, increasing inequality, and climate change. This is where the key role of
science and technology is harnessed and utilized: battling, mitigating, and averting the said
overarching issues. Science, as a study and branch of knowledge mirrors development along with
technology, which often has a more direct effect on society (as it solves practical problems and
serves human needs) are ingrained in most countries’ strategy/development plan. The analysis of
their impacts are discussed below:

Environment. Humanity faces a plethora of existential environmental challenges; among them,

resource depletion, ecosystem service deterioration, pollution, biodiversity loss and climate
change (Martin, Maris, & Simberloff, 2016, World Economic Forum, 2017). It has been evident
that improvements in instrumentation and computation have lead to more efficient operations in
the environmental sector. The technology applied in agriculture is one great example. The
development of improved crops, boosted in recent decades by sufficient scientific evidence to
support its usefulness and safety, shows how biotechnology can produce crops that are resistant
to climate change. The production and use of electric cars (which reduce consumption of oil and
fossil fuels) and biofuels (an alternative to traditional fuels generated from the biomass of living
organisms or their metabolic waste) are also some alternatives that are the result of the
application of science and technology. This is exactly why renewable energy is now appearing
on the horizon as a key pillar of our development. Consequently, all of these directly/indirectly
mitigate climate change as these pursue sustainable and ecological processes and strategies.
Energy. Increasing access to clean forms of energy makes a critical contribution to achieving the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Energy
plays the central role in society’s relationship with the environment. With that said, the
convergence of science and technology has paved the way for new and alternative energy
sources and smart infrastructures, through the construction of hydropower, geothermal, and solar
power plants. These have helped to reduce the global carbon footprint and improve overall health
condition (of the public and our planet).

Poverty. According to the Institute of Physics, more than one third of the world’s population
lacks the resources and information to meet basic human needs such as adequate food, clean
drinking water, sanitation, good health provision, shelter and education. Science, technology and
innovation play a crucial role in alleviating poverty. They have led to a wide array of
developments, from boosting agricultural productivity to providing the means to generate energy
cheaply and the supply of clean water. Thus, developments in this field make a significant
contribution to meeting the key commitments of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

Health. Continuous and rigorous in scientific research and development and applied technology
has lead to the discovery of drugs, vaccines, and therapies for the control and/or eradication of
endemic diseases. These advancements have improved the quality of life and increased life
expectancy. The creation and innovation of “life-saving machines” have brought significant help
to relieving diseases such as cerebrovascular and heart diseases, diabetes, among others.

Food Security. Science is an essential contributor to solving the triangle of the global problems
of hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation. Thus it is also applied to agriculture,
fisheries, and forestry, and to those rural, coastal, and urban ecosystems and human systems
within which hunger and poverty persist. According to a Global Food Security Report in 2012,
new and emerging technologies in agriculture, such as artificial photosynthesis are in their
embryonic stages and may provide solutions for food and fuel in the future. It is essential that
emerging technologies are permitted the right environment in which to develop in an
international and regulatory context.
Sources:

 Martin, J. L., Maris, V., & Simberloff, D. S. (2016). The need to respect nature and its
limits challenges society and conservation science. Proceedings of the National Academy
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Sustainable Development. Retrieved from https://www.nast.ph/index.php/13-news-press-
releases/249-harnessing-science-and-technology-for-poverty-reduction-and-sustainable-
development
 Technologies That Can Save the Environment. (2019, March 26). Retrieved from
https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/environment/technologies-that-can-save-the-
environment/
 The Role Of Science, Technology, And Innovation In Increasing Substantially The Share
Of Renewable Energy By 2030. (2018, March 12). Retrieved from
https://unctad.org/meetings/en/SessionalDocuments/ecn162018d2_en.pdf
 Science, Technology, and Innovation for Poverty Reduction. (2009, December 9).
Retrieved from https://www.iop.org/publications/iop/2009/file_44076.pdf
 Park, W. (2012, December 19). Global food security: the role of science and technology.
Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-food-security-role-science-and-
technology