In ten essays, this book addresses a broad range of issues related to the interplay of sustainability and technology. How do population growth and technology relate to sustainable development? Can globalization be reconciled with sustainable development? Is sustainability a subjective or an objective concept? And how can we find a balance between technological risk and sustainable safety,' for example when it comes to chemicals? What are the real environmental benefits of new technologies? Is cradle to cradle a solution? And what are the limits of renewable sources of energy?
Sustainability and Technology is written in honour of Lucas Reijnders, a pioneer in the field of sustainability, many of whose perspectives have become common knowledge and whose work has influenced thinking and research on this subject. He is one of the few environmental scientists who poses fundamental criticisms of the economic system and modern technology, and is, at the same time an advocate of sustainable technologies.
For this collection of essays, a number of leading environmentalists have been invited to present their vision, each in their own field of expertise. Sustainability and Technology invites the reader to critically think about these issues, and consider the implications that sustainability has on society, environment, and technology and its developments.
Contributions by Jan J. Boersema, Hans Opschoor, Pieter Glasbergen, Egbert Tellegen, Jacqueline Cramer, Charles Vlek, David Pimentel, Ad Ragas, Mark Huijbregts, Carolien Kroeze, Kornelis Blok, and others.
Preface
Chapter 1. Does the Population Issue Still Have a Valid Place on the Environmental Agenda? \ Jan J. Boersema
Chapter 2. The Political Economy of Sustainable Development in a Globalising Context \ Hans Opschoor
Chapter 3. On Technologies for Sustainable Societal Change \ Pieter Glasbergen
Chapter 4. On Sustainability and Capitalism \ Egbert Tellegen
Chapter 5. Combatting Climate Change. The Role of Government, Industry and NGOs \ Jacqueline Cramer
Chapter 6. Biochar: Environmental Benefits and Costs \ David Pimentel
Chapter 7. Technological Risk, Precautionary Reasoning and 'Sustainable Safety': Eternal Objective-Subjective Tensions? \ Charles Vlek
Chapter 8. Risk Assessment of Environmental Chemicals: a Historical Perspective \ Ad Ragas and Mark Huijbregts
Chapter 9. Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycles and Food Production \ Carolien Kroeze, Wilfried Ivens, Ansje L öhr, Daisy Tysmans, Jikke van Wijnen and Tobias B ölscher
Chapter 10. The Growth of Renewable Electricity Production ? Exploring the Limits \ Kornelis Blok and Pieter van Breevoort
