The Un-Easy Case for Technological Optimism

Krier, James E.; Gillette, Clayton P.

doi:10.2307/1289008

Cited by 34 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…In crux, these critiques say that LTG underestimated the power of technology and that it did not represent adequately the adaptive resilience of the free market (Meadows et al 2004). This is in some sense the view of technological optimists (Krier and Gillette 1985), essentially that "exponential technological growth will allow us to expand resources ahead of exponentially increasing demands has been aired many-a-time" (Krier and Gillette 1985). It is captured succinctly in one critique of LTG, "The force of rising costs meets the force of advancing technology, which brings down the costs of using existing resources and literally creates new resources by bringing within the bounds of feasibility materials or methods which formerly lay outside it" (Kaysen 1972).…”

Section: Critique Of Limits To Growthmentioning

confidence: 89%

Limits to Material Growth in a Resource Finite World

Mathur¹,

Sharma²,

Sharma³

2020

Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Constrained growth; Finite growth; Limits to success Definition Limits to growth are reached when any system faces a set of constraints, either all together or sequential, that it can only overcome temporarily or not overcome at all in order to maintain its own growth. Limits here could be multiple and multidimensional but are generally understood as being physical in nature. The term became popular after the release of the book Limits to Growth (Meadows et al. 1972) and since then has been widely used in the sustainability and sustainable development discourse. Limits to Growth is also a system archetype in the systems thinking discipline.

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Section: Critique Of Limits To Growthmentioning

confidence: 89%

Limits to Material Growth in a Resource Finite World

Mathur¹,

Sharma²,

Sharma³

2020

Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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“…Um movimento que se dá em paralelo aos paradigmas tecnológicos e que não recebe grande atenção, apesar de se fazer presente em práticas modernas (KRIER; GILLETTE, 1985), é o chamado otimismo tecnológico, o qual, segundo Daily e Ehrlich (1992), consiste na crença de que o progresso técnico é capaz de levar a melhorias de efi ciência, substituições de recursos e outras inovações. Evoluindo como uma resposta ao estudo malthusiano apresentado no relatório The limits to growth, do Clube de Roma (MEADOWS et al, 1972), o otimismo tecnológico é "a doutrina de que um número crescente de melhorias tecnológicas em áreas como a produção de alimentos, qualidade ambiental e energia irá sustentar a vida enquanto a população humana cresce" (BASIAGO, 1994, p. 17).…”

Section: Otimismo Tecnológico E Paradoxo De Jevonsunclassified

Caminhos E Desafios De Inovações E Organizações Rumo À Sustentabilidade ## Pathways and Challenges of Innovations and Organizations Towards Sustainability

Machado¹,

Matos²,

Ogasavara³

et al. 2020

AOS

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RESUMOEste ensaio tem como objetivo analisar os caminhos e desafi os de inovações e organizações rumo à sustentabilidade. Para tanto, parte-se da discussão dos principais paradigmas tecnológicos, com destaque para o paradigma da sustentabilidade, e duas correntes de pensamento relacionadas: o otimismo tecnológico e o paradoxo de Jevons. Posteriormente, são apresentadas características relativas às chamadas inovações sustentáveis e organizações inovadoras sustentáveis. Conclui-se pela necessidade de aprofundamento e apreciação de elementos ainda pouco explorados neste campo, como as características de inovações advindas do paradigma sustentável (produtividade radical de recursos, biomimética, química verde, ecologia industrial, energias renováveis e nanotecnologia verde), as trajetórias de desenvolvimento de inovações sustentáveis ou de aprendizagem em organizações inovadoras e sustentáveis.Palavras-chave: Inovação. Novas Tecnologias. Sustentabilidade. ABSTRACTThis essay aims to analyze the pathways and challenges of innovations and organizations towards sustainability. Therefore, it starts with the discussion of the main technological paradigms, with emphasis on the paradigm of sustainability, and two related currents of thought: technological optimism and the Jevons paradox. Subsequently, features related to so-called sustainable innovations and sustainable innovative organizations are presented. It is concluded that there is a need for deepening and appreciation of elements that have not yet been explored in this fi eld, such as the characteristics of innovations coming from the sustainable paradigm (radical resource productivity, biomimetics, green chemistry, industrial ecology, renewable energy and green nanotechnology), the trajectories of development of sustainable innovations or learning in innovative and sustainable organizations.

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“…Scientific optimism and trust in the capacity of unambiguous regulatory incentives to induce technological alternatives to massive environmental and economic losses partially account for the absolutist tenor of the CAA (La Pierre 1977;Krier & Gillette 1985). But hopes for such innovation were contingent on credible threats of plant closure and willingness to incur the political costs associated with such measures.…”

Section: From the Common Law To The Clean Air Act And Backmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between Choice and Sacrifice: Constructions of Community Consent in Reactive Air Pollution Regulation

Morag-Levine¹

1994

Law Soc Rev

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The author examines the images of community that lie behind the Environmental Protection Agency's decision not to extend proactive, uniform regulation of the Clean Air Act to the problem of local industrial odor. Under this decision, the regulation of such odors remains dependent on complaints and local initiatives rather than on proactive governmental intervention. The legitimacy and economic logic of the reactive structures the agency endorsed rely on two assumptions: (1) industrial odors are an aesthetic annoyance rather than a toxic threat; and (2) local environmental conditions reflect conscious decisionmaking by homogenous local communities as to trade-offs, and preferences for environmental quality will differ among these communities. The author uses three case studies to cast doubt on the validity of these assumptions; they demonstrate in particular the mythical character of the “community” posited by the EPA as a foundation for viable reactive enforcement. Indeed, to trigger enforcement, it has been necessary to undertake heroic organizational efforts and to create novel forms of social groupings hardly characterizable as “communities.”

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The Un-Easy Case for Technological Optimism

Abstract: The relevance of technological optimism to environmental quality and other natural resources will become plain as we go along. For evidence of the dominance of technological faith (and technological fixes) in environmental policy, past and present, see, eg., J. KRIER & E. UR

Cited by 34 publications

References 0 publications

Limits to Material Growth in a Resource Finite World

Limits to Material Growth in a Resource Finite World

Caminhos E Desafios De Inovações E Organizações Rumo À Sustentabilidade ## Pathways and Challenges of Innovations and Organizations Towards Sustainability

Between Choice and Sacrifice: Constructions of Community Consent in Reactive Air Pollution Regulation

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