Scientists’ Warning On Technology -- Bill Tomlinson, Andrew W. Torrance, William J. Ripple, Journal Of Cleaner Production

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1 / 1In the past century, fossil-fuel-intensive technologies have become ubiquitous in the US (Ritchie and Roser, 2017). Fossil fuels are heavily involved in the production, use, and disposal/recycling/reuse of these technologies. Credit: Journal of Cleaner Production (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.1400741 / 1In the past century, fossil-fuel-intensive technologies have become ubiquitous in the United States (Ritchie and Roser, 2017). Fossil fuels are heavily involved in the production, use, and disposal/recycling/reuse of these technologies. Credit: Journal of Cleaner Production (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140074

Bill Tomlinson, Andrew W. Torrance, William J. Ripple -- Journal Of Cleaner Production

Jan. 1, 2024

Abstract

In the past several years, scientists have issued a series of warnings about the threats of climate change and other forms of environmental disruption. Here, we provide a scientists' warning on how technology affects these issues.

Technology simultaneously provides substantial benefits for humanity, and also profound costs. Current technological systems are exacerbating climate change and the wholesale conversion of the Earth's ecosystems.

Adopting new technologies, such as clean energy technologies and artificial intelligence, may be necessary for addressing these crises. Such transformation is not without risks, but it may help set human civilizations on a path to a sustainable future.

In this article, we provide an integrative review of approaches that scholars and practitioners have taken in enacting technological change and provide a framework for how these approaches fit together.

The goal of this framework is to allow people and organizations working with technology to utilize these approaches in a complementary way, and thereby to support more effectively the transition to a sustainable future.

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