Governing Technology in the Quest for Sustainability on Earth

Governing Technology in the Quest for Sustainability on Earth explores how human technologies can be managed to ensure the long-term sustainability of our species and of other life forms with which we share this world. It analyses human impact, the discourses of environmentalism and issues of economics, history and science. As these variables are complex, drawing on issues from the social, physical and life sciences as well as the humanities, Dain Bolwell uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate these concepts and their related public policies.

Exploring three major existing and emerging technologies - chemical herbicides, nuclear-electric power generation, and robotics and artificial intelligence - the book demonstrates the multifaceted and complicated nature of the grand challenges we face and draws out the measures required to effect sustainability in the wider political sphere.

Exploring how we can govern technology most effectively to ensure a long term and sustainable future, this book will be of great interest to students and researchers of environmental studies, science and technology and environmental law and policy.

Autorentext

Dain Bolwell is an associate with the Institute for the Study of Social Change in the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Tasmania. Dain is a former international consultant, author and editor with particular expertise in labour and development fields. He has lived and worked in the Central Pacific as advisor to the Kiribati Minister for Labour, in East and West Africa for Public Services International and in Cambodia, China and Geneva for the United Nations.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. The concept of sustainability

Chapter 3. Impact

Chapter 4. Population

Chapter 5. Affluence

Chapter 6. Technology

Chapter 7. Options Chapter 8. Technology and governance Chapter 9. Case study: Glyphosate

Chapter 10. Case study: Nuclear-electric power

Chapter 11. Case study: Robotics and artificial intelligence

Chapter 12. Case study summary

Chapter 13. Alternative visions

Chapter 14. Conclusion: the Owl of Minerva