Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Reader's response draft 2


In the article “Duo turned plastic waste into concrete”, Goy (2016) claims that scientists from BlueRen have come up with a way to transfigure plastic wastes into carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes can be utilized as an additive to concrete, to reduce the use of cement. Traditional methods of producing carbon nanotubes are extremely limited, due to the high expenses and the creation of toxic gases. BlueRen however, has innovated a new way of production that is much more environmentally sustainable and it hopes to commercialise their new technology. Nanotechnology can be used in more ways than the author suggests, and such advancements will benefit the environment tremendously.
As mentioned, nanotechnology can be used in many ways apart from implementing it as an addition to concrete to reduce cement. For instance, from the article “Environmental Effects of Nanotechnology”, Battachara (2012) states that nanotechnology has come up with enhanced solutions to various environmental issues, mainly regarding the field of water quality and drinkability. Nano technology can solve problems such as the inadequacy of clean drinking water and the highly contaminated waters.
Prevailing method of purifications of water through chemical treatment is extremely pricey, and is damaging to the environment. Scientists hence turn to nanotechnology as an alternative to resolve the issue, as they can detect pollutants, treat contaminants and prevent pollution. On top of that, the article “Nanotechnology and the Environment” explains that nanotechnology can also be used in an abundance of ways, such as cleaning of oil spills, and allowing batteries to be recycled more efficiently.
From the above examples, it is clear that nanotechnology can indeed be beneficial to the environment in more ways than one, and it can prove to be extremely advantageous in areas where many other solutions are incapable of. Thus, there should be more emphasis and attention on companies like BlueRen, which can speed up the development and production of nanotechnology.
The boon that nanotechnology presents is prominent. However, it does come with drawbacks as well. Firstly, as mentioned in the article, the process of upcycling plastics of nanotubes produces toxic gases. Even though BlueRen’s efforts helped in minimising the amount, the exact difference of toxic gas being produced is not acknowledged. Hence, even with BlueRen’s new technology, the rate of toxic gas being created could continue to be alarming. On top of that, an article “Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology and Its Products”, by Zhang (2011) also discusses other shortcomings of nanotechnology, such as high energy is needed to produce nanoparticles, resulting in huge increase in demand for energy.
There is no questioning the reality that nanotechnology can bring upon a brighter and much more sustainable environment in the world, as the benefits they bring with them is undeniable. However, the fact that they come with their own sets of disadvantages makes it questionable whether the boons they provide outweighs their banes or not. However, nanotechnology will continue to develop without any doubts. It may eventually progress into becoming a technology that the environment cannot do without.

References
             Battachara, P. (2012). Environmental Effects of Nanotechnology. Azonano.

             Goy, P. (2016). Duo turn plastic waste into a concrete idea. The Straits times.

             Zhang, B. (2011). Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology and Its Products.

             (N.A.). Nanotechnology and the Environment. Nanowerk.

Changes from draft 1:
Grammatical errors
Change in certain sentence structure
References

Edited 5th Oct 17

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