Technology Ecology

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Interesting article about the evolution of technological systems and their potential inter-relations with natural systems.

Technology Ecology

...Some say we’ve already moved into a new geological era called the Anthropocene, in which human activity is the dominant factor in sculpting the planet...

...Twenty-eight percent of the planet’s land mass is forested, another 21 percent is high mountains, tundra and deserts, but the remaining 51 percent of Earth’s non-ice-bound landmass is already modified by humans in the following ways...

...Another way to view human impact on the planet is by separating naturally occurring flows of materials from those caused by human activities. Looking at a material like lead, for example, you would find that 332,000 tons are released into the environment each year as a result of human activity, compared to just 28,000 tons happening through natural processes. For a growing number of materials, we are now scaling beyond the natural rhythms of the planet...

--A

[Fist and Faith]

Not as interesting as the fact that you started a thread!

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Unfortunately, the only way that the problem of "human activity scaling beyond the natural rhythms of the planet" will be solved will be through a significant--and possibly frightening--population reduction. This may occur via a new pandemic or meteor impact or even war but there is no realistic way that all of a sudden a sufficient number of humans are going to begin living in some more ecologically-friendly way that our negative impacts are going to be reduced and/or reversed. Of course, I wouldn't argue against it if that did start happening but I am certainly not going to hold out any hope for it happening.

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I largely agree about the holding of the breath, Hashi. But there are perhaps other possibilities which could rely less on the masses changing their lifestyle, and more on the utilisation of improving tech to start changing things on a more fundamental (and less consumer-dependent) way.

This,

Technology is not some isolated machine that can be perfectly controlled. Technology is deeply interconnected with other technologies, with industries, organizations, markets, economies, and with its surrounding natural environment.

When we fail to see this last connection, we fail to see the full complexity of the planet as it exists in the Anthropocene. Is technology truly equivalent to a beaver dam or beehive? It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that technology is structurally linked with the natural systems of the planet.

can be both frightening and hopeful at the same time.

Not as interesting as the fact that you started a thread!

I'm reading so much work related stuff I barely have time for unrelated stuff. Actually, I came across this via work, and thought it would be interesting to see what people thought.

Jay should really weigh in here...this seems connected to his own field somehow.

--A

[kevinswatch]

Not as interesting as the fact that you started a thread!

This!

But yes, that is interesting, thanks for the link. I'll look into it some more, I haven't heard that term, "technology ecology" before.

-jay

[Vraith]

Unfortunately, the only way that the problem of "human activity scaling beyond the natural rhythms of the planet" will be solved will be through a significant--and possibly frightening--population reduction.

I don't believe that for a second as a necessary truth.

We could, right now, with existing tech/knowledge, support at least triple what we have now and at the same time make things better for the WHOLE planet and ALL people.
The problem isn't the planet's capacity...although in a couple million years it could be, but that would just prove we're stupider than we think...it is our definition of, and belief in, our conception of "efficiency," and "market forces," and how those beliefs lead us to "manage" things.

As if those things were gravity or some other natural law.

They are as "true" as "Black people are black cuz the creator left them in the oven too long."

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...it is our definition of, and belief in, our conception of "efficiency," and "market forces," and how those beliefs lead us to "manage" things.

Agreed.

--A