From Luddites to Eco-Radicals: Why Fighting Technology Is a Dead End

Today, many environmental activists treat technology as a threat to the planet. But banning or rejecting innovation altogether is as misguided as the Luddites of the 19th century, who smashed machinery they saw as the cause of unemployment — only to slow down industrial progress without solving any social problems.

The ecological challenges of the 21st century demand not a retreat from technology, but its smarter and more responsible use. Instead of waging war on innovation, we should be driving the adoption of green solutions — from renewable energy to waste recycling — because it’s not the absence of technology that saves the planet, but its intelligent evolution.

Clinging to outdated technologies condemns humanity to ecological disaster. Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of plastic pollution, where archaic waste disposal methods lose miserably to modern recycling systems.

Instead of standing still, we need bold innovation — because only technological progress can pull civilization out of the trap of accumulated waste.

The chart shows which countries contribute the most to ocean plastic pollution (2023 data). The Philippines leads by a wide margin: this single country — where outdated technologies persist and recycling is nearly nonexistent — accounts for 35% of all global plastic pollution.

The top ten countries, including India, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, are responsible for roughly 83% of ocean plastic waste. The rest of the world combined contributes just 17%.

Here lies the paradox: environmental outrage is loudest in places where the situation is already relatively under control. Meanwhile, activists — embodied by Greta Thunberg — often call for the shutdown of factories and industries in the developed world. Yet even if that happened, global pollution would barely shrink by those same 17%, because the overwhelming majority of plastic waste comes from regions that “green” movements prefer to ignore.

We hear few calls to hold developing nations accountable or to introduce modern recycling technologies there. Instead, the focus is on economically undermining the very countries whose industries are already comparatively clean and energy-efficient.

In Finland, waste management is a cornerstone of environmental policy, blending cutting-edge technology with responsible consumption. Over 40% of waste is sorted and recycled; the rest is converted into energy at incineration plants equipped with advanced gas-cleaning systems.

The result: minimal harmful emissions and a second life for energy — as heat and electricity for homes. Finnish companies lead the way in innovation, using optical sorting sensors and bioprocessing of organic waste into biogas.

Add to that an efficient container deposit system that encourages people to return plastic and glass bottles — and you get a holistic, technology-driven model of sustainability.

This approach not only reduces landfill waste but also demonstrates how technology can actively protect the environment rather than destroy it.

Outdated energy technologies — coal-fired power plants without filtration systems or modern efficiency standards — remain one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, toxic ash, and heavy metal pollution.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2022, 75% of all electricity in Africa was still generated by burning natural gas, coal, or oil.

South Africa is an especially stark case: 84% of its electricity comes from coal-fired plants, many of which operate with minimal environmental controls.

Across Europe and the United States, a massive shift toward renewable energy is underway. Solar and wind power are expanding rapidly — not only because of environmental policy but also because they have become economically advantageous.

Solar energy, for instance, has seen dramatic cost reductions: the price of photovoltaic panels has fallen by more than 80% since 2010. Wind energy is also booming. By 2023, wind accounted for 17% of the EU’s electricity mix, and in countries like Denmark and Germany, wind farms now supply over half of all electricity consumption.

In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act has accelerated this shift by offering generous tax credits for green energy projects, fueling a surge in new solar and wind installations. As a result, the share of renewables in developed economies keeps rising — cutting dependence on fossil fuels and steadily reducing CO₂ emissions.