Synopses & Reviews
Technology has changed the world at an ever increasing rate, making possible humanity's shift from the farm to the factory to the Internet. While technology has eliminated many problems, it has added others. Technology and Global Change is the first book to give a comprehensive description of the causes and impacts of technological change and how they relate to global environmental change. It organizes history into a sequence of technology clusters, each with its distinctive environmental "footprint". The result is a new, original explanation of change--illustrated with innumerable quantitative examples, data, and graphics. Written for specialists and nonspecialists alike, it will be useful for researchers and professors, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for all those interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.
Review
"Written for both specialists and nonspecialists, the book will be of interest to all looking to technology for environmental solutions: technologists, environmentalists, policy makers, and academics." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society"...a broad and unique contribution." Future Survey"Particularly important to a proper understanding of the history of the environmental crisis since the beginning of the industrial revolution, this fine study bridges economics, technology, systems analysis, and environmental history." Technology and Culture"While the topic is complex, and the density of material daunting, I found the book easy and pleasant to read. As well as being a fascinating scholarly work, a graduate course built around this book could be a marvelous experience for both students and teachers." Energy"Those who distrust grandiose titles can be reassured at once: this book delivers the goods. The author sticks to his word...Grubler's main achievement, aside from compiling a useful array of data on economic, technological and environmental change, is a careful, well-argued assessment of the environmental impact of technological innovations." Journal of Economics
Review
' ... [This book] contains some useful information in the assessment of the relationship between technology development and environment'. Environment International
Review
'While the topic is complex, and the density of the material daunting, I found the book easy and pleasant to read'. Robert A. Frosch, Energy
Synopsis
The first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years.
Synopsis
This is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.
Synopsis
The first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years.
Synopsis
Technology and Global Change describes how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. Technology has led us from the farm to the factory to the internet, and its impacts are now global. Technology has eliminated many problems, but has added many others (ranging from urban smog to the ozone hole to global warming). This book is the first to give a comprehensive description of the causes and impacts of technological change and how they relate to global environmental change. Written for specialists and nonspecialists alike, it will be useful for researchers and professors, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry (strategic planning departments) and government (R & D and technology ministries, environment ministries), for environmental activists (NGOs), and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; Part I. What is Technology?: 2. Technology: concepts and definitions; 3. Technology: models; 4. Technology: history; Part II. Technology and the Environment: Natural and Human: 5. Agriculture; 6. Industry; 7. Services; Part III. The Balance of Evidence: 8. Conclusion. 9. Postscript: from data muddles to models; Appendix; References; Index.