6GEO3 Unit 3 Contested Planet The Technological Fix

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6GEO3 Unit 3 Contested Planet The Technological
Fix
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What is this topic about?

• This is a summative topic for all of the
  Contested Planet module
• A technological fix is an innovation that can be
  used to solve a problem facing humans. Tools,
  machines and systems allow us to control nature
  and improve quality of life. Removal of
  technology, however temporarily, can lead to
  crises.
• We have increasingly become dependant on new
  technology, but there are both positive and
  negative aspects to its use. An attitudinal fix
  may also be necessary , involving changes in
  peoples perception and personal actions about a
  problem .
• The geography of technology involves
  investigating why there inequality in access to
  technology on a global and local scale.
• Technology and development looks at how far
  technology determines development and resource
  use
• Lastly, you will evaluate the role of technology
  in the future management of the contested
  planets environment.

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CONTENTS

• The geography of technology
• Technology and development
• 3 Technology, environment and the future

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• The geography of technology

• Why do we need technology ?
• Is technology causing the planets problems?
• Can it help solve them?
• What else is needed?

• The 2003 publication 2030 Spike Countdown to
  Global Catastrophe by Colin Mason stated we
  must act decisively, collectively and
  immediately about
• Shortages of fossil fuels
• Global population growth -near 8 billion and
  rapidly increasing in some areas
• Persistent poverty - 1.1 billion will be living
  on less than 1 per day in 2011
• Climate change- possible 1-2c warming by 2030
• Water shortages -by 2030, people may have access
  to 30 less water
• Rising food insecurity and possibly famine
• Land degradation and persistent pollution

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Types of technological fix
This diagram categorises the types of
technological fix, and introduces mini examples
you will learn about either in this topic or the
other 5 topics in Contested Planet
Energy Security
Appropriate technology appropriate to local
level of skills, income, knowledge but may be
higher tech e.g. wind up radio, laptops, mobiles
for Grameen banks
Micro technology e.g. ICT mobiles banking internet
Nano Bio technology e.g. Green Revolution
methods GM products
Geo engineering planetary scale engineering,
largely untested e.g. space mirrors
High Tech
Civil engineering e.g. Cities, dams, wind farms
Water conflicts
May be both community based bottom up and top
down from governments
Alternative technology to traditional methods
e.g. biodiesel
Biodiversity under threat
Intermediate technology easily mastered by locals
e.g. pumpkin tanks, jiko stoves
NB Some technologies cross categories, hence
overlaps shown on the diagram
Bridging the Development Gap
Low Tech
Capital Intensive
Labour Intensive
Superpower geographies
NB role of Leapfrogging technology where new
technology is introduced without a legacy, e.g.
mobile phones do not need pre existing landlines.
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Technological lifecycles

• All technology has a life cycle
• Life cycles have become shorter over time.
• The speed of technological change has increased.
• Decline begins when better technologies become
  mainstream.
• Technology can be fairly unchanging until a
  sudden discovery/breakthrough, such as
  antibiotics, the internet.
• Controlling nature has increased through history,
  reducing environmental risk such as water
  shortages, natural hazards, pollution control.

As cost falls the product sales grow
Until newer and better technology is introduced
and affordable
New technologies have a distinct life cycle
Popular i ty
Time
Life cycles have become shorter over time and the
speed of growth has increased
The main factor underlying all of these
technologies is access to wealth, but the next
slide outlines the complex factors involved
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Barriers what factors control access to
technology?
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Attitudes to technology and environmental
determinism
Countries like Bangladesh and Haiti are examples
of environmental determinism. The causes of their
high risk may be split into 3 types, with the
type of technology set against them
Attitudes to technology
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The Digital Age background to the patterns of
access to technology

• The Technological Gap Generally ,access is best
  in more developed nations, especially N America,
  Eurasia and Australasia, and also much of S
  America. Worst access in sub Saharan Africa and
  other Least Developed Countries such as
  Afghanistan, Myanmar.
• Countries with the best access to knowledge are
  best placed to gain wealth. Affluent countries
  invest more in education. The majority of RD
  is in Western Europe, North America and Japan
  which receive high incomes from royalties and
  license fees
• Electricity supply is a good indicator of
  interconnected power transmission, investment and
  often high technology. It is essential
  prerequisite for modern life styles, from
  household appliances, luxury goods to industrial
  processes.
• The digital access index combines data on
  telephone landlines, mobile phone subscriptions,
  cost of internet, adult literacy, school
  enrolment, internet band width, internet users
  broadband subscribers.

Hyperconnected places have a digital access
index of over 75. They have the infrastructure
to support digital information transfer and
lower costs because of competition. NB the triad
of economically wealthy areas dominated by the
knowledge economy( E Asia, N America, EU)
Under connected areas have a lower access index
mainly less than 15 Examples sub Saharan
Africa, Kenya. These areas need support
technologies wireless networks, reliable power
supply, internet service provider companies,
sales distribution repair network, useful
websites software in familiar language
ICT is often said to be persuasive or
penetrative because it needs less static
infrastructure e.g. mobiles, satellites
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Modern technology and the Contested Planet

• ICTs are an enabler of development
• They can reduce social and economic inequalities
• Support local wealth creation
• Encourage entrepreneurs and innovations
• Improve efficiency in all aspects of life and
  commerce
• They shrink distances and enable remote
  geographical locations become included in core
  global trends
• Low cost technology once networks are established
• Newer technologies, e.g. WiFi do not depend on
  installed infrastructures.
• Language technologies ensure that those without
  formal education are provided with access to
  knowledge and information using applications most
  suitable to their skill level.

The most important technologies for helping
achieve MDG goals are Communications and
networking technologies e.g. Cable/wireless
networks User devices e.g. Mobile phones,
handheld computers, smart cards, storage media,
global positioning system receivers. Alternative
energy sources e.g. Portable solar chargers,
wind-up and solar rechargeable batteries, fuel
cells wind generators. Language technologies
e.g. Text to speech, speech recognition,
handwriting recognition, translation, e-mail,
blogs Business applications e.g. email
The UN Millennium Report stresses the
importance of ICT and digital inclusion to
developing countries as a fundamental element of
human development, calling for universal access
to information and communication services as
agents of development contributing to the
achievement of all of the MDGs.
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Measuring levels of technology
The 4 categories from high to low relate to
investment opportunities . Hotspots show the
most extreme digital divide Improvements show
recent improvements in e-inclusiveness and very
good opportunities for investment

• This Index shows the relative levels of access to
  information and communication technology for 183
  countries.
• Data is from 2007 International Telecommunication
  Union where 10 core ICT indicators are used
  access to computers, including internet,
  broadband access, mobiles and fixed lines.
• Mobiles are weighted since they are a key driver
  of access to ICT in developing countries

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World Internet penetration rates by geographic
regions 2009
Measuring the digital divide
More than one fifth of the worlds population are
now online, but the majority are in developed
countries Fixed broadband uptake is slow in many
developing regions. While almost all countries
now have commercially deployed fixed broadband,
the service remains relatively expensive in many
developing countries and thus inaccessible to
many potential users. 3G phones, the 3rd
generation of mobiles will allow greater internet
coverage

• CHINA'S INTERNET USE
• Total users in 2009 298 million
• Year-on-year increase 41.9
• Mobile net users 117.6 million
• Internet penetration 22.6
• NB strict government controls still

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Technology and Development
SOCIAL GROWTH-health, education, knowledge,
choices

• The international Commission on Growth and
  Development Growth in 2008 identified key
  factors for sustained economic growth
• Engagement with the global economy
• Specialising exports
• Transfer of key technologies
• In order to develop countries need to invest in
  innovation and education
• Technology is a key driver in promoting
  development,
• Some areas have Initial advantage fuelled by
  technology
• Development is associated with infrastructure to
  maintain innovation
• Universities, research, Government sponsorship,
  TNCs, advanced legal system-patent protection
• reliable water, energy, transport, health and
  communication systems
• NB the concept of technological leapfrogging

Advances in communications Agriculture,
Industry Energy Water systems
Knowledge, creativity, inventions
Resources
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Resources productivity
Technological change
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Costs and Benefits of technology externalities
and unforeseen consequences

• The effects of a new technology are not always
  foreseen, as shown by the use of pesticides DDT,
  and synthetic compound CFCs.
• Cars are an iconic example of a technology
  globally widely adopted and treasured but which
  has become a major contributor to negative
  changes in our environment through emissions.
• The ecological footprint may be large for a
  resource to be harvested and used.
• The controversy over genetic modification of
  organisms shows very different views by the
  players involved

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Key Principles in pollution control
Precautionary Began 1992 Rio Earth Summit,
linked with sustainable development . Where a
threat appears to be present, even if not proven,
action needs taking to protect the environment
E.g. reaction against GM foods, 1987 Montreal
Protocol on CFCs and Ozone depletion Maastrict
Treat of EU Even Body Shop has it enshrined in
their corporate plan. 2009 ban by EU of 22
commonly used chemicals in agriculture
Polluter Pays Means the costs of cleaning up
pollution should be borne by those causing it.
Started by OECD 1972.reaffirmed at Rio
Summit E.g. Emissions Taxing in UK and at
international scale 1997 Kyoto Protocol 2009
Copenhagen summit on technology transfer
Proximity Principle Pollution should be tackled
as near to the source as possible, contained, not
allowed to spread This would apply to e.g.
river pollution or exporting of toxic waste to
poorer less restricted countries- effectively
global shift of ecological footprints!
Prevention Try to stop at source rather than
adapt after created E.g. Urban Smokeless zones,
energy efficiency The UK Environment Agencys
guidelines
Most effective at long term scale?
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3. Technology, the environment and the future

• You need to know about
• The costs and benefits of intermediate /
  appropriate technology compared with hi tech
  megaprojects environmental impacts and social
  equity
• The role technology might play in global issues
  such as global warming and land degradation and
  whether the fix is feasible or desirable
• The chances of technology contributing to a more
  environmentally sustainable future
• Ideas about the technological future will it
  be
• a divergent world with a technologically fixed
  core and peripheral technology impoverished
  periphery
• or a convergent world with technology for all

• Optimist -Ester Boserup
• 1965 theory that it is possible to overcome
  environmental limits through culture and
  technology
• Necessity is the mother of invention, and
  technological fixes can solve problems as they
  arise
• Evidence?
• Green and gene Revolutions, technology to help
  population control such as the oral
  contraceptive.
• 1980s USA Economist Julian Simon people
  markets are stimulated by resource crises

• Pessimist Malthus
• Original theory dates back to the 1798Population
  grows at a geometric rate whist food production
  increase at arithmetic growth, The inevitable
  overlap called overpopulation will result in
  poverty, starvation and death.
• Adopted by many environmental groups and the
  think tank the Club of Rome 1972 whose
  publication The Limits to Growth warned of
  resource depletion and environmental degradation.
• More recently the publication 2030 Spike
  suggested a global catastrophe by 2030

Points of view on population-resources
relationship
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Technology the alternatives

• See slide 5 for more details, and the concept of
  technological leapfrogging

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Technological fix for energy supply, water
control and bridging the development gap in
Chinas quest to become a world superpower
The Big Tech Fix! China and the Three Gorges Dam
Technology transfer 6 groups of European,
Brazilian and US TNCs involved in construction
e.g. GE and Siemens, as well as Chinese companies
Main player state-backed Yangtze Three Gorges
Dam Project Development Corporation. Estimated
costs 37bn!
The World Bank , traditionally a major player in
megadam projects, pulled out of funding
-concerns over negative impacts

• The world's largest hydropower complex project
  to date in Xilingxia gorge of Asias longest
  river, the Yangtze.
• The main project was completed in 2008 and by
  2011 it aims
• Supply 1/10th of Chinas present electricity
  demands- the hub of an integrated energy supply
  for central China with 3 regional grids
  taking Three Gorges power, from the coast to the
  border of Tibet.
• Reduce disastrous floods downstream
• Improve navigability of the river to help trade
  within this dragon economy
• An iconic example of the Contested Planet because
  of the viewpoints of the different players
  involved and their differing views on the
  externalities produced

Sponsorship by businesses in USA and many EU
countries including UK
Environmentalists concerned over ecological
effects disrupting silt and nutrient balances
up and downstream important for ecosystems and
farmers.
Japan Ministry of International Trade and
Industry supported project to reduce acid rain
pollution from coal fired power stations falling
on them!
Human rights groups concerns over forced
relocation of 1.27m people
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Technological and attitudinal fixes some
overarching issues

• Geoengineering is planetary scale engineering,
  the ultimate tech fix e.g.
• sulphur aerosols
• space mirrors
• ocean fertilisation
• synthetic trees
• Many environmentalists argue against it because
  it allows pollution to continue- then applies a
  fix to clean it up
• Preferred more attitudinal changes and less
  contentious technologies solar, wind,
  geothermal, microgeneration (house scale)
• In future? A hypothetical Tech Fix
  Terraforming- moving to a new planet!

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Technological and attitudinal fixes for energy,
water and development
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Technology for all or some? The Future?
Sustainability? Meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the needs of future
generations.... A complex concept, difficult to
assess, and hotly contested when types of
technology are concerned
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A summary of The Technological Fix within the
Unit 3 topics