6GEO3 Unit 3 Contested Planet

The Technological Fix

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.

CONTENTS
1. The geography of technology
2. Technology and development
3. 3 Technology, environment and the
future

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1.

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

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

High
Tech
May be both
community
based bottom
up and top
down from
governments

Low
Tech

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

Civil
engineering
e.g. Cities,
dams, wind
farms

Intermediate
technology easily
mastered by locals
e.g. pumpkin
tanks, jiko stoves

Labour
Intensive

Micro
Nano & Bio
technology technology
e.g. ICT
mobiles
banking
internet

e.g. Green
Revolution
methods +
GM products

Energy Security

Geo engineering
planetary scale
engineering, largely
untested e.g. space
mirrors

Water conflicts

Biodiversity under threat

Alternative
technology to
traditional
methods e.g.

biodiesel

NB Some technologies
cross categories,
hence overlaps shown
on the diagram

Bridging the Development Gap

Capital
Intensive

NB role of Leapfrogging technology where new technology

is introduced without a legacy, e.g. mobile phones do not
need pre existing landlines.

Superpower geographies

Technological lifecycles

As cost falls the product sales

grow
Until newer and better
technology is introduced and
New technologies have
affordable
a distinct life cycle
P
o
p
u
l
a
r
i
t
y

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

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.

Barriers: what factors control

access to technology?
Factor
Level of
economic
development

Physical
reasons
Political
reasons
Historical
reasons

Explanation
MEDCs and TNCs invest more money into R&D, they
protect their innovations intellectual property rights
restricting access in LEDCs
They have the money to invest in the infrastructure
required to support the technology e.g. a wireless or
hard-wired network for the internet
Some technologies are only suited to certain physical
locations
Some national governments limit access to technology
to ordinary citizens in order to control the information
that they send and receive
Historical development has a large influence on
current wealth
This includes political systems, early use of fossil fuels
and industrial revolutions

Examples
GlaxoSmithKiine Retroviral drugs for
HIV/AIDs. The G8, UN and WHO
hoped for universal access by 2010.
Brazil has started illegal, cheaper
copies.
HEP needs mountains, impermeable
rocks and high water input, solar
needs sun.....
China and control over Google
N Korea and mobile phone bans
Western European Industrial
revolution and colonial dominance
over especially Africa and India.
Japans post WW2 restructuring
investment by USA
Greenpeace , FoE- nuclear power &
GM production
Amish, Mennonites

Environmental
or social
reasons

Certain group shun certain technologies due to their

potential negative social or environmental impacts

Religious
reasons

Some religions do not believe in the use of certain

forms of technology

Catholics and artificial contraception

Military
reasons

The use of some weapons technology is controlled by

international organisations to try to maintain global
security

Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

Attitudes to technology and

environmental determinism
Attitudes to technology

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:

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 R&D 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)

ICT is often said to be

persuasive or penetrative
because it needs less static
infrastructure e.g. mobiles,
satellites

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

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 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.

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

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

Extrem
e 0-2.5

Hotspots

High
2.5-5.0

Improvements

Mediu
m 5.07.7
Low
7.5-10
No
data

Digital
Inclusion risk
Index by
Maplecroft
foundation,
World
Economic
Forum 2009

Measuring the digital divide

World Internet penetration rates by geographic regions
2009 %
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

Technology and Development

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

SOCIAL GROWTH-health,
education, knowledge,
choices

ECONOMIC
GROWTH

Resources +
productivity

Technological change

Advances in communications
Agriculture, Industry
Energy + Water systems

Knowledge, creativity,
inventions

Resources

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

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

Key Principles in pollution control

Precautionary

Prevention
Try to stop at
source rather
than adapt
after created
E.g. Urban
Smokeless
zones, energy
efficiency
The UK
Environment
Agencys
guidelines

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

Most effective at long term scale?

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 countrieseffectively global shift
of ecological
footprints!

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
Pessimist Malthus

Original theory dates back to the

1798:Population 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
populationresources
relationship

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

Technology the alternatives

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

The Big Tech Fix! China and the

Three Gorges Dam
Technological fix for energy supply, water control and bridging the development
gap in Chinas quest to become a world superpower
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

Environmentalists
concerned over
ecological effects :
disrupting silt and
nutrient balances up
and downstream
important for
ecosystems and
farmers.

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

Human rights groups concerns

over forced relocation of
1.27m people

Technology
transfer; 6 groups
of European,
Brazilian and US
TNCs involved in
construction e.g.
GE and Siemens,
as well as Chinese
companies

Sponsorship by
businesses in
USA and many
EU countries
including UK

Japan Ministry of
International Trade and
Industry supported
project to reduce acid rain
pollution from coal fired
power stations falling on
them!

Technological and attitudinal fixes: some overarching issues

What is
the
Problem
?
Pollution
, Climate
change
and
enhance
d global
warming

Biodiver
sity
under

What Technology has been

used/planned?

Role of Attitudinal Fixes?

1. At source and production of

pollutant :
Geo-engineering to reduce incoming
solar radiation
Energy efficient technologies
New/expanded existing low
carbon energy supplies- nuclear
solar, HEP
carbon capture storage(unproven
so far at a large scale)
2. Reduce at user point :
catalytic converter
3. Reduce at sink: carbon
sequestration (forests, in rocks)

Life style changes- the 5 Rs:

Resource reduction reuse
recycling Reducing Respect
Carrot and stick policies by
governments- voluntary and
forced changes e.g.:
education and tax incentives to
reduce personal footprints

Sustainable logging by heavy

equipment and heli-logging
GIS and satellite surveillance to

Ethical and environmental

purchasing from sustainable
sources e.g. Forest Stewardship

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 : Terraformingmoving to a new
planet!

Technological and attitudinal fixes for energy, water

and development
Problem

Technology

Attitudinal Fix

Energy
security
Oil shortages
and Peak Oil
fears

New sources of oil and new

pipelines
New types e.g. tar sands, shales.
Replace and supplement oil by
gas
A hydrogen economy or similar
alternative energy future for
example based on nuclear power.
Switch to renewables, e.g.
biofuels, solar.

Increased shared transportpublic transport

Energy efficient transport
Use of low carbon transport

Water
Conflicts:
supply and
quality

High tech Megafixes: dams,

desalination plants, pipelines,
canals, tankers
Lower tech or more appropriate
technology: Taankas, microdams,
composting toilets

Reduction in water use

Grey water recycling

Bridging the
Development
Gap by tackling
poverty and
health: coping
with HIV/AIDs

Pharmaceutical research to find a

vaccine or curative medicine.
The use of condoms, dams,
antiretroviral drugs, semen washing,
clean needles.

patents
sharing/agreements to
reduce drug costs
Public health education to
prevent the spread of the
disease e.g. needles, safe
sex, abstinence, pre-natal
testing
Women empowerment

Technology for all or some?

The Future?

Scenario

Evidence?

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

Divergence

Convergence

Business as usual: the

current model
Are we too addicted to
technology?

Use of similar
technology

2007 IMF :the world has

become increasingly
unequal since 1980
Technology contributed
to this by increasing
inequality and
technological
divergence.
It is not meeting main
challenges to date :fossil
fuel dominance, global
pollution, poverty,
environmental
degradation all at a
global scale

Global use of
internal
combustion
engine
Recent changes
in patent laws
New Green
revolution in
Africa using
appropriate
technology
transfers
Use of biofuels

A summary of The Technological Fix within the Unit 3 topics

Energy security

Water conflicts

Biodiversity under threat

Technology efficiency
Energy pathways
Oil frontiers to counteract Peak oil
Alternative technology : a new atomic
age?
Renewables technology
The 5 Energy Rs ( refuse, reduce,
research, recycle, replace)
Role of technology in the Sustainability
quadrant, and its role in Business as usual
and Technological convergence
Technology transfer

Megaproject
Water availability gap
Economic water scarcity
Abstraction technology
Externalities created by large hard
engineering projects e.g. transfers , dams,
desalinisation plants
Water conservation: low tech and high tech
grey water, water harvesting, appropriate
technology , restoration projects.

Threats on biodiversity and hotspots:

destruction and degradation.
Sustainable yield concept
Eco reserve management: use of
technology e.g. satellite monitoring ,
GIS 4-wheeled drives, guns.
Seed banks, gene banks, zoos all
involve a technological fix.

Superpower geographies

Bridging the development gap

The Technological Fix

Mechanisms of getting and maintaining

power
Rise of BRICs and TNCs
Military might- hard power mechanisms
e.g. surveillance ,nuclear deterrent.
Economic trade and aid-trade
,communications technologies e.g.
outsourcing and FDI
Culture and ideology transfers and
influence- media technology

Technological gap and Digital Divide

between switched on and off areas
Intermediate or appropriate technology
Technology transfer
Megacity growth facilitated by high rise
buildings, transport, communications
2009 global depression fuelled by
interconnected world

Technocentric world
Lifecycle changes
Digital technology
Environmental determinism
Technological leapfrogging e.g. mobile
phones
Patents and Intellectual property rights
Micro, Nano, + Bio technology
Convergent and divergent scenarios

Attitudinal Fix to all?

Business as usual? Radical future? Sustainable development?