Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us or the Environment

Nanotechnology! Genetic engineering! Miracle drugs! We are promised that new technological developments will magically save us from the dire consequences of the three hundred-year fossil-fueled binge known as modern industrial civilization, without demanding any fundamental changes in our behavior. There is a pervasive belief that technological innovation will enable us to continue our current lifestyle indefinitely, and will prevent social, environmental, and economic collapse.

Techno-Fix shows that negative unintended consequences of science and technology are inherently unavoidable and predictable, techno-optimism is completely unjustified, and modern technology, in the presence of continued economic growth, does not promote sustainability, but rather, it hastens collapse. The authors demonstrate that most technological solutions to social and technology created problems are ineffective. They explore the reasons for the uncritical acceptance of new technologies, show who really controls the direction of technological change, and then advocate extensive reform.

This comprehensive exposé is a powerful argument for why we can and should put the genie back in the bottle. An insightful and powerful critique, it is required reading for anyone who is concerned about blind techno-optimism and believes that the time has come to make science and technology more socially and environmentally responsible.

Michael Huesemann, PhD, is a research scientist with a special interest in sustainability and critical science. He has specialized in environmental biotechnology for more than twenty-five years.

Joyce Huesemann, PhD, is an activist and academic who has taught at several universities and participates actively in a number of environmental, wildlife protection, and companion-animal organizations.