role of technology in sustainable development
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Role of Technology in Sustainable Development. Sustainable Futures. Unit 1 - Topics Covered. Technology and Economic Growth Impact of Technology (positive and negative) Barriers to Uptake of Technology ‘Appropriate’ Technology Diffusion of Innovations. Emerging Technologies. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Role of Technology in Sustainable Development
Sustainable Futures
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Unit 1 - Topics Covered
• Technology and Economic Growth• Impact of Technology (positive and negative)• Barriers to Uptake of Technology• ‘Appropriate’ Technology• Diffusion of Innovations
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Emerging Technologies
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Different Viewpoints
“Technology will get us out of this mess”
“Technology got us into this mess”
“It is our approach technology that is
important”
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Discussion Points
• What are the positive and negative aspects of technological development?
• Has technology had a net positive or negative effect?
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E-waste
• An estimated 40 million tonnes of electrical waste is produced each year
• Much of the waste contains harmful chemicals which are damaging to the environment and human health
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Discussion Points
• Why did technology develop differently on different continents?
• What the barriers preventing new technologies from reaching developing countries?
• Are people in developing countries less receptive to innovation?
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Appropriate Technology
Typically, appropriate technology:• Is labour intensive and made from locally
available materials• Utilises sustainable sources of energy• Does not require access to centralised
infrastructure or materials or skills imported from elsewhere.
Hand-operated water pump
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Appropriate Technology
Examples:
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Objects
• How useful would they be in rural Kenya?
• Do they fit the definition of ‘appropriate technology’?
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Briquettes
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Mobile Phones
• An estimated 17.5 million people out of Kenya's 38.5 million population own a mobile handset (up from 200,000 in 2000).
• They have applications including health, agriculture and mobile banking.
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Diffusion of innovations
The innovation• Characteristics of an innovation determine its rate
of adoption:1. Relative advantage
2. Compatibility
3. Complexity
4. Trialability
5. Observability
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Diffusion of Innovations
Re-invention:• An innovation is not necessarily invariant during
diffusion.• Re-invention is the degree to which an innovation
is modified during the process of adoption and implementation.
• Innovations diffuse more rapidly when they can be modified easily.
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Lake Bogoria Beehive Example
• Three types of hive are used in the area:– Traditional Log Hives– Langstroth Hive– Kenyan Top Bar Hive (KTBH)
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Log Hive• This is a traditional hive
that has been used in African countries for hundreds of years.
• Made from the trunk of a felled tree the hive is simple to construct.
The hive when harvested causes the destruction of the comb if this is not used to make beeswax products then it is a waste as the bees have to rebuild the comb before producing more honey.
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Langstroth
• Widespread use in Europe and America
• It includes a queen excluder
• The frames guide the bees to build comb, and also strengthen the combs allowing the hive to be transported to a different location.
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Kenyan Top Bar Hive (KTBH)
• First developed by Professor G.F. Townsend in Canada, for use in East Africa.
• The presence of the top bars allows for the beekeeper to manage and inspect the hive much easier than log hives
• However without a full frame like the Langstroth hive the comb is weak and can break off, making it very difficult to transport hives.
• The local community has shown initiative by the development of a queen excluder in traditional log hives.
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Diffusion of innovations
Time• Innovativeness
and innovator categories
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Articles
• What innovation(s) appear in the article?
• What factors have allowed the innovation to be adopted? What factors have hindered the adoption?
• What benefits has the innovation had? What are the possible negative impacts?
• Assess the characteristics of the innovation that will affect its rate of adoption: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability.
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Technology and Energy
• Developments in power generation technology often lead to advances in other technologies
• Move towards low-carbon technology• How does uptake of renewable energy compare in
developed and developing countries?
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Pay-as-you-go solar power
http://www.azuri-technologies.com/
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Role of the Internet
• The internet has decreased the importance of physical difference between peoples.
• It has increased the rate of diffusion of innovations
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Role of ICT
• Developments in ICT such as writing, the printing press, the internet and mobile phones have lessoned barriers to communication and allowed interaction at a global scale.
• Lack of access to electricity and other infrastructure has blocked the uptake of ICT in some developing countries.
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Discussion Points
Emerging Technologies:• E.g. solar photovoltaic cells, hydrogen powered
cars.• Why has uptake of these technologies been
limited (so far)?
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Lazy User Model
• If presented with a selection of options which all fulfil the needs of the user, the user will select the easiest option.
• Further reading: ‘New-year irresolution’, The Economist (on blackboard)– Discusses ways to incentivise people to adopt new
innovations.
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Conclusions
• Technology is needed which breaks the link between economic growth and environmental damage/resource depletion.
• Technology is not a quick-fix solution but it can be part of the answer.
• Understanding ‘diffusion’ can help us understand the factors affecting rate at which new technologies are adopted.
• Concept of ‘appropriate technology’ is important for sustainable development, but there are some exceptions.
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Assessment
Information for policy makers• There are 2 main policy issues covered in this
unit:– Domestic issues: uptake of green technology in the UK– Investment in developing countries: what are the best
technologies to promote sustainable development and how can they be encouraged?