Renewable
energy is one primary example of a technological fix, as it has been
designed to combat the issues with global warming and climate change.
A technological fix, technical fix, technological shortcut or solutionism refers to the attempt of using engineering or technology to solve a problem (often created by earlier technological interventions).
Some references define technological fix as an "attempt to repair
the harm of a technology by modification of the system", that might
involve modification of the machine and/or modification of the
procedures for operating and maintaining it.
Technological fixes are inevitable in modern technology. It has
been observed that many technologies, although invented and developed to
solve certain perceived problems, often create other problems in the process, known as externalities. In other words, there would be modification of the basic hardware, modification of techniques and procedures, or both.
Technological fix is the idea that all problems can find
solutions in better and new technologies. It now is used as a dismissive
phrase to describe cheap, quick fixes by using inappropriate
technologies; these fixes often create more problems than they solve, or
give people a sense that they have solved the problem.
Contemporary context
In
the contemporary context, technological fix is sometimes used to refer
to the idea of using data and intelligent algorithms to supplement and
improve human decision making in hope that this would result in
ameliorating the bigger problem. One critic, Evgeny Morozov
defines this as "Recasting all complex social situations either as neat
problems with definite, computable solutions or as transparent and
self-evident processes that can be easily optimized--if only the right
algorithms are in place."
While some criticizes this approach to the issues of today as
detrimental to efforts to truly solve these problems, opponents finds
merits in such approach to technological improvement of our society as
complements to existing activists and policy efforts.
An example of the criticism is how policy makers may be tempted
to think that installing smart energy monitors would help people
conserve energy better, thus improving global warming, rather than focusing on the arduous process of passing laws to tax carbon, etc. Another example is thinking of obesity
as a lifestyle choice of eating high caloric foods and not exercising
enough, rather than viewing obesity as more of a social and class
problem where individuals are predisposed to eat certain kind of foods
(due to the lack of affordable health-supporting food in urban food deserts), to lack optimally evidence-based health behaviors, and lack of proper health care to mitigate behavioral outcomes.
Climate change
The technological fix for climate change
is an example of the use of technology to restore the environment. This
can be seen through various different strategies such as: geo-engineering and renewable energy.
Geo-engineering
Geo-engineering is referred as "the artificial modification of Earth's climate systems through two primary ideologies, Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)".[citation needed]
Different schemes, projects and technologies have been designed to
tackle the effects of climate change, usually by removing CO2 from the
air as seen by Klaus Lackner's invention of a Co2 prototype, or by limiting the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, by space mirrors. However, "critics by contrast claim that geoengineering isn't realistic – and may be a distraction from reducing emissions."
It has been argued that geo-engineering is an adaptation to global
warming. It allows TNC's, humans and governments to avoid facing the
facts that global warming is a crisis that needs to be dealt with
head-on by reducing emissions and implementing green technologies, rather than developing ways to control the environment and ultimately allow Greenhouse Gases to continue to be released into the atmosphere.
Renewable energy
Wind Turbine
Renewable Energy is also another example of a technological fix, as technology is being used in attempts to reduce and mitigate the effects of global warming. Renewable Energy
refers to technologies that has been designed to be eco-friendly and
efficient for the well-being of the Earth. They are generally regarded
as infinite energy sources, which means they will never run out, unlike
fossil fuels such as oil and coal, which are finite sources of energy. They additionally release no green house gases such as carbon dioxide, which is harmful for the planet as it depletes the ozone layer. Examples of renewable energy can be seen by wind turbines, solar energy such as solar panels and kinetic energy
from waves. These energies are regarded as a technological fix as they
have been designed and innovated to overcome issues with energy
insecurity, as well as to help protect Earth from the harmful emissions
released from non-renewable energy sources, and thus overcome global
warming. It is also known that such technologies will in turn require
their own technological fixes. For example, some types of solar energy
have local impacts on ambient temperature, which can be a hazard to
birdlife.
Food famine
It
has been made explicit within society that the world's population is
rapidly increasing, with the "UNICEF estimating that an average of
353,000 babies are born each day around the world."
Therefore, it is expected that the production of food will not be able
to progress and develop to keep up with the needs of species. Ester Boserup highlighted in 1965 that when the human population increases and food production decreases, an innovation will take place. This can be demonstrated in the technological development of hydroponics and genetically modified crops.
hydroponics
Hydroponics
Hydroponics
is an example of a technological fix. It demonstrates the ability for
humans to recognise a problem within society, such as the lack of food
for an increasing population, and therefore attempt to fix this problem
with the development of an innovative technology. Hydroponics is a
method of food production to increase productivity, in an "artificial
environment." The soil is replaced by a mineral solution that is left around the plant roots.
Removing the soil allows a greater crop yield, as there is less chance
of soil-borne diseases, as well as being able to monitor plant growth
and mineral concentrations.
This innovative technology to yield more food reflects the ability for
humans to develop their way out of a problem, portraying a
technological fix.
Genetically modified organism
Genetically modified organism
(GMO) reflect the use of technology to innovate our way out of a
problem such as the lack of food to cater for the growing population,
demonstrating a technological fix. GM crops can create many advantages,
such as higher food fields, added vitamins and increased farm profits. Depending on the modifications, they may also introduce the problem of increasing resistance to pesticides and herbicides, which may inevitably precipitate the need for further fixes in the future.
Golden rice
Golden rice
is one example of a technological fix. It demonstrates the ability for
humans to develop and innovate themselves out of problems, such as the
deficiency of vitamin A in Taiwan and Philippines, in which the World Health Organization reported that about 250 million preschool children are affected by.
Through the technological development of GM Crops, scientists were able
to develop golden rice that can be grown in these countries with
genetically higher levels of beta-carotene
(a precursor of vitamin A). This enables healthier and fulfilling
lifestyles for these individuals and consequently helps to reduce the
deaths caused by the deficiency.
Externalities
Externalities refer to the unforeseen or unintended
consequences of technology. It is evident that everything new and
innovative can potentially have negative effects, especially if it is a
new area of development. Although technologies are invented and
developed to solve certain perceived problems, they often create other
problems in the process.
DDT
DDT was initially use by the Military in World War II to control a range of different illnesses, varying from Malaria to the bubonic plague and body lice.
Due to the efficiency of DDT, it was soon adopted as a farm pesticide
to help maximise crop yields to consequently cope with the rising
populations food demands post WWII. This pesticide proved to be
extremely effective in killing bugs and animals on crops, and was often
referred as the "wonder-chemical." However, despite being banned for over forty years, we are still facing the externalities of this technology.
It was found that DDT had major health impacts on both humans and
animals. It was found that DDT accumulated within the fatty cells of
both humans and animals and therefore highlights that technological
fixes have their negatives as well as positives.
DDT being sprayed
Humans
- Breast & other cancers
- Male infertility
- Miscarriages & low birth weight
- Developmental delay
- Nervous system & liver damage
Animals
- DDT is toxic to birds when eaten.
- Decreases the reproductive rate of birds by causing eggshell thinning and embryo deaths.
- Highly toxic to aquatic animals. DDT affects various systems in aquatic animals including the heart and brain.
- DDT moderately toxic to amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders. Immature amphibians are more sensitive to the effects of DDT than adults.
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Automobile
Global warming
Global warming can be a natural phenomenon that occurs in long (geologic) cycles. However, it has been found that man-made ozone layer depletion and the release of Greenhouse Gases
through industry, and traffic, causes the earth to heat up to unnatural
temperatures. This is causing externalities on the environment, such as
melting icecaps, shifting biomes and extinction of many aquatic species, through ocean acidification and changing temperatures.
Automobiles
Automobiles with internal combustion engines have revolutionised civilisation and technology.
However, whilst the technology was new and innovative, helping to
connect places through the ability of transport, it was not recognised
at the time that burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, inside the engines would release pollutants.
This is an explicit example of an externality caused by a technological
fix, as the problems caused from the development of the technology was
not recognised at the time.
Different types of technological fixes
High-tech megaprojects
High-tech megaprojects are large scale and require huge sums of investment and revenue to be created. Examples of these high technologies are Dams, nuclear power plants, and airports. They usually cause externalities on other factors such as the environment, are highly expensive, and are top-down governmental plans.
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam.
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam
is an example of a high-tech technological fix. The creation of the
multi-purpose navigation hydropower and flood control scheme was
designed to fix the issues with flooding whilst providing efficient,
clean renewable hydro-electric power in China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW).
The dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of
annual energy generation, generating 83.7 TWh in 2013 and 98.8 TWh in
2014, while the annual energy generation of the Itaipú Dam in Brazil and Paraguay was 98.6 TWh in 2013 and 87.8 in 2014. It was estimated to have cost over £25 billion. There have been many externalities from this technology, such as the extinction of the Chinese River Dolphin, an increase in pollution, as the river can no longer 'flush' itself, and over 4 million locals being displaced in the area.
Intermediate technology
Is usually small-scale and cheap technologies that are usually seen in developing countries. The capital to build and create these technologies are usually low, yet labour is high.
Local expertise can be used to maintain these technologies making them
very quick and effective to build and repair. An example of an
intermediate technology can be seen by water wells, rain barrels and pumpkin tanks.
Appropriate technologies
Technology that suits the level of income, skills and needs of the people. Therefore, this factor encompasses both high and low technologies.
An example of this can be seen by developing countries that implement technologies that suit their expertise, such as rain barrels and hand pumps. These technologies are low costing and can be maintained by local skills, making them affordable and efficient. However, to implement rain barrels in a developed country
would not be appropriate, as it would not suit the technological
advancement apparent in these countries. Therefore, appropriate
technological fixes take into consideration the level of development
within a country before implementing them.
Concerns
Michael and Joyce Huesemann caution against the hubris of large-scale techno-fixes In the book Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us Or the Environment
they show why negative unintended consequences of science and
technology are inherently unavoidable and unpredictable, why
counter-technologies or techno-fixes are no lasting solutions, and why
modern technology in current context does not promote sustainability but instead collapse. Naomi Klein
is a prominent opponent of the view that simply technological fixes
will solve our problems. She explained her concerns in her book This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate
and states that technical fixes for climate change such as
geoengineering bring significant risks as "we simply don't know enough
about the Earth system to be able to re-engineer it safely". According
to her the proposed technique of dimming the rays of the sun with
sulphate-spraying helium balloons in order to mimic the cooling effect
on the atmosphere of large volcanic eruptions for instance is highly
dangerous and such schemes will surely be attempted if abrupt climate change gets seriously under way.
Various experts and environmental groups have also come forward with
their concerns over views and approaches that look for techno fixes as
solutions and warn that those would be "misguided, unjust, profoundly
arrogant and endlessly dangerous" approaches
as well as over the prospect of a technological 'fix' for global
warming, however impractical, causing lessened political pressure for a
real solution.
