This is a reprint of something I wrote in 2017: Though it is now almost 7 years ago it still is as sound as the day I wrote it.

 

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

The main problem with the 3rd industrial revolution?

The main problem I see is toxicity.

For example, if you make things out of plastics and then discard them they don't rust away eventually like cars do and car engines might if they are not aluminum. Because aluminum since there are only limited quantities of it on earth is often recycled over and over again including any aluminum parts on cars and aluminum cans etc.

So, the cancer causing effects of discarding plastic in the environment of both plastics as well as the toxicity of the new types of batteries used in priuses and teslas when replaced they could leach down into the water tables and poison them.

So, the poisoning of local waters and soils might be the biggest problem I foresee presently from the 3rd Industrial revolution.

Also, I don't see the 3rd industrial revolution as similar to the other two because they don't lend themselves to mass production facilities (YET). They lend themselves to infinite customization of literally everything built from planes to boats to robots built at home to anything literally that you can think of including 3d printed food for fun and profit.

But, in regard to plastics and batteries both of these things toxify the environment IF they are thrown away and left to leach into soils or oceans or lakes or rivers or aquifers worldwide. Also, in producing many of these materials and finished products they also will tend to pollute the air too and people will die of this.

So, for convenience and customization you are sacrificing the environment that you live in and giving more and more people cancer from toxic substances.

However, every other industrial revolution caused other problems to the health of the masses as well as this one does.