In a globalized world like the one in which we move, where technology already plays a crucial role, it is difficult to assimilate all the concepts that arise almost daily to define some actions. The technosphere is a concept that was coined around the year 2014 and that, although it does not appear in our dictionary, it is known as an artificial layer of the planet that constantly grows and that has been created by the human being himself.
Man technology
In a concept of this type, we must know that, obviously, technology plays a fundamental role. The technosphere would be the great system formed by each and every one of the objects and elements that man himself has created such as computers, books, bridges, streets, skyscrapers … something that, after all, generates life and culture.
In this technosphere, daily personal relationships are carried out, and it responds to an artistic and technical need that man himself has created, as well as that of consumption.
Therefore, there are several significant elements that make up the technosphere such as human beings, machines or existing social systems throughout the world.
The human being is one of the basic aspects for the technosphere to continue to develop. It is understood as the set of norms and organizations that make up society, and with it, favor its well-being and development.
On the other hand, technology is the set of techniques and knowledge that people themselves use for the design and creation of goods and services and, therefore, the advancement of the technosphere. This technology allows humans to modify the environment to meet their own needs.
How big is the technosphere?
It is almost impossible to calculate the actual size that the technosphere could be. Broadly speaking, if we evaluate components such as cities, the volume of earth excavated and leveled to build foundations, such as roads, buildings or train networks, by order of magnitude we could be talking about 30 billion tons of materials that man has used and disposed of on the planet.
According to UNESCO, the technosphere must be minimized in the coming years since, unlike the biosphere that perfectly recycles its own materials that compose it, the technosphere does not recycle practically any of its components, with the impact that this generates on the mass of the planet and its future.
